Could Have Been
by Delta Wish
Summary: [On Haitus.] In an alternate universe, the Marines are losing a war. In an attempt to turn the tables, they find a way to bring the strongest man from another world to help them. What they did not expect was Monkey D. Luffy to come from the wormhole, especially when to them, he's just a skinny brat clinging to his Grandfather. Pirate King Luffy meets Marine Luffy.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **First off, this is set_ after_ Canon. I am basically coming up with stuff on the spot and trying to be rather vauge because, quite frankly, One Piece is going to go on for years yet. I cannot yet see the end (no one can except Oda). Apparently we're only halfway through. So, maybe years from now I'll come back to re-write it to fit Canon then. In the meantime, I'm doing the best I can, so suck it up if you don't like tiny things that I'm doing. Besides, if I told you everything then it would lose an air of mystery (or an air that I'm trying to create).

This is just to set a bit of the stage. Luffy is already the Pirate King when this starts. He's twenty four. The crew stays together instead of splitting like some people have it.

Enjoy!

-_ DW_

**Rated T for Violence and Language.**

* * *

**_Prologue  
_**

The last man fell. The war was over.

Allies and Foes watched as the match between the two greatest rivals of the age was decided - the winner the man with the claim to One Piece. Dust and the echoes of one final scream settled. The crews of the two Captains waited with bated breath, gazes shaking and bodies trembling in fear, their own opponents lying at their feet. The people still among the living stood in silence to see the dawn of the new era.

Blood coated the rocks, staining them red and brown. Fire and smoke licked the edge of vision and the smell of sulfur and death clogged noses. The Marines present let their fingers grow slack, and the clanging of weapons hitting the ground cut through the silence. They knew they had failed.

Minutes passed before a silhouette of a man appeared at the summit. A gust of wind blew the debris clear of his face. Tears sprung to eyes, either in horror or in relief. Some dropped to their knees, shaking in fright. For others, wide grins replaced worried scowls. They did not dare speak yet.

Bright red meshed with yellow and blue; black hair and hard eyes; a straw hat firmly placed upon his head. The man took a deep breath and declared, **"I AM THE PIRATE KING!"**

A cheer rose up from his supporters. Eight people charged up the slope and embraced the man, and in turn threw him up in the air again and again in their delight (effectively ruining the previously serious mood).

That day was to be known as the 'day of rebirth', or the 'day the sky fell' (later revised as 'Sky Fall'). It was the day the Will of D was renewed, the Void Century uncovered and the Grand Line conquered. Raftel was claimed, and the Great War ended.

That was also the day Monkey D. Luffy was named the second Pirate King.


	2. Before the Storm

**A/N: **As you should have gotten from my description, Pirate Luffy gets pulled into an alternate universe. A universe where he is actually a Marine. And shit is hitting the fan for this world.

Also, I need to talk breifly about Vegapunk. I'm using him as a character. Now, we hardly know anything about him, so I'm making it up. Like I adressed in my last author's note, I may go back later equipped with more information and rewrite it. In the meantime, I will create Vegapunk as I see him to be with the given facts. And let me tell you, it's _fun._

Enjoy!

_- DW  
_

* * *

_****_**Chapter One  
**_Before the Storm  
_

_Blood pounded in his eardrums, threatening to burst with the slightest increase in pressure. His head was ringing, and the shouts that ripped through his torn throat went unheard by him. One eye was swollen shut, still stinging but not the forefront of pain. He was enraged, ready to kill, to murder, and as his foe fell to his fists he hardly noticed skin being ripped apart, despite the hardening engaged. _

_ He felt old wounds split apart, sending a white hot searing pain pulsing across his back. His body was ready to implode, both mentally and physically. He was beyond his limits, _well_ beyond his limits. It was fight, or die. The final battle, the climax, if he didn't fight to the end, all he had done up until then would be for naught. _

_Red splattered the ground, the earth shook and the sky quaked. He was ready to die. They were all ready to die. Die fighting for what they lived for, and even if they failed, it had all been worth it. Losing was not the same as failure. His heart stopped for a moment when they clashed again, blood spraying and the pain intense enough to be felt by the people below. Bones broke, muscle tore, organs burst and rebuilt again and again, _over_ and _**over**_._

_ Eye of the storm, the final stand, blue tower fall, sky dragon roar, the beginning, the end of all things and the unstoppable will._

The truth.

_Shouting until blood coated his throat, all remaining energy and _more_ poured into one final blow. Winding up and _up_ and _**up**_, stretching and contorting before–  
_

* * *

He was jerked back into reality with a horrifying clear understanding of something so disturbing and so utterly earthshattering, that he was left reeling. Gripping his chest, he desperately tried to suck in the ever so needed air. It felt like a lifetime ago he last breathed. While his body was temporarily lacking motor functions, his brain had gone into overdrive in a vain attempt to process the events just witnessed in his unconscious state.

It was the most terrible thing he had seen in his life. He didn't even _know_ things like that could happen! So why, _so why_ did he dream of such an awful thing? Unfortunately, no matter how hard his mind worked, he could not come to a conclusion.

Luffy didn't even bother to try to comprehend the thoughts going through his head as he partook in that battle. It was too much to handle, so he let it go. It drifted from his head altogether, but he was still left with the terrifyingly crisp images and sensations that the dream had brought.

When he had calmed down a little, he sat up and stared at his shaking hands. His fingers could hardly move and when he looked at them, he somewhat expected them to be coated in a layer of blood and dirt and _who knows_ what that other stuff had been.

Carefully, and fearing the results, he slowly moved until he could check the rest of his body for the signs of battle. There were no scars, none on his back or chest. His eyes were perfectly all right. Hair was still relatively clean and not crusted in dried blood and dirt. There were no cuts - open, closed or otherwise. He once again looked down at his hands and arms. They had _stretched_. His arms had stretched like they were made of rubber. Giving an experimental tug at the corner of his mouth he determined that no, he was _not_ made of rubber. He pinned it as a distortion in the dream, as the subconscious sometimes twists reality.

He swallowed thickly and ran a hand through his hair. Well, he was going to be haunted by that for the rest of his life. It was permanently burned into the back of his eyes. Shaking his head, he got off the bunk and stumbled into the bathroom he shared with twenty other people. In the dead of the night, it was usually empty, but sometimes there was one or two stragglers getting a drink of water, taking a piss, eating stolen food or just goofing off.

He padded barefoot across the cold floor and approached the sinks. After splashing his face in freezing water a couple times, he looked up at the mirror to see a tired looking boy just younger than him. It was his friend from the Science division and not one of the generic douchebags he had to bunk with, which he was extremely grateful for.

However, little Toma was observant and possessed great insight. He saw the spooked eyes and trembling limbs, and shot Luffy a concerned frown. "Something up?" the boy asked.

"Uh … no?" Luffy said unsurely, eyes widening further. It was widely known that he was a terrible liar, and Toma didn't even need his great powers of understanding to spot the lie.

"Dammit Luffy, you _know_ you can't lie, so don't try. I've never seen you like this before. Tell me what's going on."

Toma was also very blunt.

Luffy opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again, looking down at the dirty floor. After cultivating a suitable answer from his tired and overused mind, he once again looked up at the boy. "I can't say."

"Why not?" this had succeeded in getting Toma aggravated it seemed and further screwed Luffy over.

"I don't know! It was … I've never seen anything like it … it wasn't like a dream _at all_ …" Luffy started to panic, waving his arms around to try to get his point across.

"You're not making any sense."

"There was so much blood!" he choked out in a hoarse voice and once again images and feelings flooded through him. He dropped to his hands and knees, forced to watch as once again he fought to a brutal death. Toma was instantly at his side, watching his reactions and trying to pry information out of the shell-shocked man. "_I was dying!_ T-Trying to kill that person – I don't even _know who he is_ dammit! It was fucking _insane_ and so _clear_, like a memory. It was like the world was ending –"

He was crying.

Luffy stopped in mid-sentence when he realized that hot, thick rivers of tears were streaming down his face and dripping onto the floor. Toma looked shocked and pained to see his friend in such a pitiful state.

The boy frowned before getting to his feet and hauling the still sobbing Luffy to his. "Come on. Let's get you something to eat. I'm sure you'll feel better with something in your stomach."

That was the last they spoke of it.

* * *

_Months Later …_

"Shit …" Garp swore under his breath as he slowly skimmed through the update he just received from Sengoku. According to the dammed thrice piece of paper, Teach had advanced further into the New World and the casualties – Pirates, Marines _and_ civilians – were piling up. On top of that, Whitebeard was flanking left and slowly approaching a key Marine base. And don't even get him _started_ on the situation with the Revolutionary Army.

It was as fucked up as it could get, and the Maries just happened to be on the _losing_ end of the insane war.

It was bad enough that there was some sort of temporary alliance between Whitebeard and Red Hair, but now it seemed that Big Mom had joined forced with Blackbeard. Kaido was dead already, which lead to an open position in the Yonkou that Teach had immediately assumed, for the moment at least. It was pretty obvious that he was on his way towards Raftel, the legendary island at the end of the Grand Line that only Roger, Garp's ex-rival, had reached some twenty nine years prior.

_Damn it all to hell_, he thought bitterly and tossed the pages onto his temporary desk. He had been sent off on a bullshit mission to the outskirts of the Grand Line to investigate an obviously false rumor. Apparently a local claimed to have spotted one of Whitebeard's commanders. Sengoku just wanted him away from headquarters for a while he was sure. He and his grandson were their two greatest pains, and the Admirals and the head of the science division, Vegapunk, had been sneaking around having secret meetings with Sengoku without letting him know. So it was a _little_ suspicious. He smelled something fishy.

Speaking of fishy, the stench of cooked fish wafted into his cabin and the door was tossed open to reveal his Grandson. The boy (still a child at twenty four) indeed had a hunk of fried fish in one hand, casually eating it without the aid of utensils. "Oi, Ji-chan, when are we going to get there?"

Garp sighed and resisted the urge to do a facepalm. There was only so much of his Grandson he could handle before he started to lose his hair. Already he was sure he was developing a bald spot on the back of his head; so much for decades of great hair.

"I've already said – about a week."

_Oh no, not again,_ Garp mentally groaned and kicked himself in the shin. Luffy's lower lip jutted out in a pout, displaying an impressive example of the dreaded 'Puppy Eyes'. The boy's pleading expression was infamous throughout headquarters as something that could melt the hearts of the most solid and cold of men. It was _deadly_.

Garp, unfortunately, was not immune.

"I'm bored though!" the younger man whined, making Garp somewhat wish that he _had_ given up on trying to drill into Luffy's head as a lad that he needed to be a Marine. He wished that he hadn't made the decision to take him along with him into the Grand Line to start training him from a young age.

Garp silently berated himself for falling for Luffy's pout. "Go find something to do!"

"I am …"

"Then go somewhere else!"

It was going to be a _long_ mission.

* * *

"Hey Toma," a young blonde woman said quietly, frowning at her dinner. It was bland and looked like a mix of green and grey goop – over all very unappetizing.

"Yeah?" the boy replied.

"What do you think Vice-Admiral Garp is going to do when he finds out about the project?"

Toma thought for a moment, taking the time to seriously consider it. "I'm not sure, but it'll probably be pretty bad. I don't even think Luffy would be able to calm him down."

The woman, Ricka, shivered in fear and set down her fork. "That's a frightening thought."

"I know what you mean."

"What do you think Luffy will act like?"

Toma laughed, throwing his head back in hysterics, "He'll probably beg whoever we pull through to train him!"

Ricka smiled, temporarily sated. "He probably will," she said affectionately.

Both she and Toma were involved in a Top Secret, supper hush-hush mission that could possibly turn the tides of the war. It was all Vegapunk's idea (and she was sure that there was some sort of ulterior motive, considering the amused glint in his eyes as he explained the theory) and the entire Science division had been roped into it. Ricka herself was actually a doctor, but because of how short they were on staff, she had been ordered to join as well. So far, only the Admirals, Sengoku and those involved were aware.

They wanted a solider – a fighter – someone _so powerful_ that no one in their world would be able to stand up to them. What they needed was the strongest man in the world. Unfortunately, the person who held that title in_ their_ world was currently on an opposing side. So when Vegapunk came prancing in shouting that he had _'Found it!'_, it was understandable that they were all confused.

At first, they were unsure of what he was saying. Then he laid the groundwork for his theory and that the strongest man would help win the war. And then he proudly stated that he had already started the project and had located a world in which the strongest man was not a violent prick and would _probably_ help them. Emphasis on probably.

On the other hand, it was impossible to contact them while they were in the other world, so they couldn't strike up a deal beforehand. They would have to do it the old fashioned way – kidnap him, beg for mercy and then convince the man to help them. All three Admirals and Vice-Admirals (excluding Garp, who had been sent on a mission because of the obvious protests he would give) had been called in for backup if necessary.

Because, quite frankly, they were all a little worried that the strongest man wouldn't like their offer and open up a can of whoop-ass on them. They were all a little afraid, and it was for this reason that headquarters was monopolizing the Marine's strongest members.

"Don't worry about it. If we don't die, then Garp won't have anything to complain about. We'll have practically won already!" Toma assured her, showing his own confidence and excitement.

"Yeah!" she grinned in response.

* * *

"Are you _absolutely_ sure that it'll pull through who we want?" Sengoku was not in the mood for second guesses and less than 100%. Now that he knew it was possible, he wanted it to be true – the strongest man, fighting for them to ultimately win the war.

"Yes. In fact, I even know who it is," Vegapunk's mischievous grin was nearly mocking. Sengoku didn't fully trust the man – far too intelligent and liked to play around with them. Sure, he was an invaluable asset, but sometimes he was more trouble than he was worth.

"Who is it?"

"I'm sorry, I really should not say."

Figures.

"Vegapunk, just what the hell are you up to anyway?"

The elderly man chuckled, shaking his head. Sengoku couldn't see his eyes, and it made him nervous. They were hidden behind thick tinted goggles, so they looked a little buggy. It was like interacting with a statue sometime, a very sassy and sarcastic statue."Trust me this time. You'll thank me for it."

"You'd better be right," Sengoku sighed and gave up trying to get answers from the man. They would come out on their own eventually.

"Great. Well, we're all set - just waiting for your signal."

"Garp won't be back until the end of the month …" Sengoku muttered to himself before nodding and fixing a determined scowl on his face. He would have looked threatening if not for the stuffed seagull perched on his hat. "Do it."

* * *

"Give biowave detectors maximum power."

"Already at max, Sir."

"Excellent. Can we track the signal?"

"Yes! Tracing!"

"East Blue, Sir!"

"Locking on!"

Vegapunk's mad grin stretched farther than his subordinates thought possible. Lights flickered and noises whizzed. A throbbing pressure emanated from a central point behind a thick panel of glass. The air was distorted and heat rolled off of it in waves. The scientists were all sweating profusely, some opting to take off their coats and roll up their sleeves. They did not have a need of professionalism at that moment.

Ricka watched on with growing fascination. The chance to meet the world's strongest man was always a rarity, and the chance of meeting one from another world (one supposedly stronger than even Whitebeard himself) was practically zero. They were bending the laws of the universe. Doing what was not supposed to be possible. It was the greatest scientific achievement to date.

Blue light joined the white noise and pulses of energy. The pressure increased until all the scientists in the room were having trouble remaining conscious. The sheer density of the will pouring through was simply intense.

One by one, they started dropping like flies. Only a handful was strong enough to be able to stay awake, even if they shook in fear. A cold feeling of dread gripped Ricka's heart as she typed in figures and numbers, keeping the machines working along with Toma and Vegapunk himself.

The twelve still conscious revved the machine like an engine, focusing on the central point in the other world. The machine hiccupped, and a blast of energy pushed against them, shattering the glass and sending loose objects flying.

A low droning filled the air, making Ricka's ears hurt. She had doubts. It seemed as though if the person they pulled through wouldn't kill them, the machine _would_. It was practically suicide.

"We need more!" Vegapunk's shout was momentarily louder than the noise. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Toma dive for the panel at the side of the room. He flicked a handful of switches and replaced wires, and the light grew steadily more intense while the rest of the room dimmed.

An insane laugh drifted above it all, ringing in her ears and taunting her. One of the scientists had gone mad. The man tried to jump over his desk and towards the light, but was tackled to the ground by two others. With those three out of the picture, it was down to nine. Ricka's duty ended when she finished her task, and after that she could only sit tight and pray for the best.

Vegapunk dived for one of the computers. His fingers flew across the keyboard before red lights flashed across the room. He had hacked the grid it seemed. And then, in a moment of brilliance and awe, everything was bleached white in a magnificent display of power and destructive force. It was like a controlled explosion.

Ricka blacked out for a moment, and when she came to the room was in shambles. Everything was scattered, machines broken, people unconscious and groans of pain lifting up from the others. As far as she could tell, no one was dead. Just to make sure, she forced herself to get up. She drifted along the wreckage of that of a war zone, and found that thankfully, everyone was alive and had all their limbs attached.

Vegapunk emerged in the fashion of a jack-in-the-box, bits of drywall stuck in his crazy hair and goggles askew. The man scanned the room with narrow eyes, scaring Ricka a little.

"What do you think he's looking for?" a voice startled her, and she looked down to see Toma lying on his back a few feet away. She helped him out from under the ruined desk, and noted that he would also need first aid.

"I dunno," she whispered back.

Suddenly a barking laugh erupted from his throat, and Vegapunk vaulted over huge pieces of debris. He came to a stop at the side of the room, where a splash of red disrupted the monochromatic color scheme. It was the back of a shirt and thankfully not blood.

The scientist dragged the man out of the wall and shook him into a semi-conscious state. She could only see his back and the straw hat on his head from where she was. "Wha?" he groaned groggily, and she could vaguely see him bring his hand up to his face to give his eyes a rub.

Ricka froze, blood running cold at the voice. She knew that voice. And the look on Toma's face said that he too knew _exactly_ who it was.

The strongest …

"Welcome to our world, Monkey D. Luffy!"


	3. War Plans

**A/N: **I really appreciate reviews! Seriously, I hardly ever check my e-mail, so I can only track how much a story of mine is liked through the reviews. Keep em' coming. I love listening to your comments, thories and ideas! They make me a happy Author.

I'm actually having a surprisingly hard time writing these chapters at the moment, so don't expect super fast updates, but hopefully I won't be _too_ lazy and they'll come out at a reasonable pace.

**angelrider13:** ACE IS ALIVE HERE! WHOHO! And I plan to drag him in at some point. :)

So, here is the second chapter!

_- DW**  
**_

* * *

**Chapter Two  
**_War Plans  
_

Her initial shock never really wore off. As Vegapunk lowered the half conscious man to the ground and let him take a look around, Ricka and Toma shared a meaningful glance. In that one look they both confirmed that it was indeed _Luffy_ that they pulled through.

_Holy shit, have we messed up or is this some sort of cosmological prank?_ She thought while staring blankly at him.

"Ricka, get over here and make sure he hasn't broken anything," Vegapunk demanded. Ricka opened her mouth to protest, before realizing that she was the only conscious person in the room with medical experience. She was the doctor.

"R-Right!" she stuttered instead and made her way over to the two of them. Her leg was scraped by a rather sharp splinter that used to be a desk leg, but it didn't even register. Her mind was at a loss as to why it was her best friend sitting amongst the debris, staring up at her like she was a stranger. And then there was the fact that he was the _strongest fucking person_ in his own world. It was all messed up and very confusing.

Fumbling with the first aid kit that Toma brought her, she kneeled down next to him and searched for any cuts or bruises. He was pretty scuffed up, having been thrown through a wall and all, but was otherwise fine. He didn't even flinch when she used the alcohol to clean up the cuts. Their Luffy would whine and fuss, even if it didn't actually hurt that bad.

It was alien and slightly disturbing. She was almost afraid.

The front of his shirt was open, and she could clearly see a massive scar in the shape of an X. Ricka tried not to look at the grisly shape, but her eyes were almost drawn to it. It looked like a burn scar, and a pretty nasty one at that.

"Say, Vegapunk, where exactly am I?" Luffy spoke for the first time since the little 'Wha?' he had given when abruptly woken up.

For a moment the elderly man frowned before a huge smirk swept across his face, "Marineford." If Vegapunk expected a comical outburst from the kid, like Toma and Ricka did, then they were all surprised when his fists clenched, looking like he was ready to murder someone.

"Why?" Luffy asked … no, _demanded_. The tone sent shivers down Ricka's spine, and she momentarily paused in her application of first aid.

Vegapunk's smile turned into a grimace. "Oh, I guess I haven't explained what's going on yet." Luffy pushed Ricka's hand aside from where she had been bandaging a larger cut on his wrist before getting to his feet. She rose too, and Toma came over to stand beside her. He had been previously trying to rouse the others, but people more or less well off than him went to do the job instead. "You see, you are now what we call an 'alternate universe'. Events, people, even the world itself could be altered from yours."

"Another world?" he looked shocked.

"Yes. We can send you back soon, so there isn't a need to panic."

The man looked thoughtful for a moment, "What about my Nakama? They'll be worried if I disappear."

"… Uh … I honestly didn't think about that."

Ricka and Toma facepalmed, sighing in exasperation. The man was a genius beyond his time, but sometimes he overlooked tiny details that had to do with the response and not the actual invention. Luffy opened his mouth, ready to let loose his anger at the scientist, but thankfully Ricka had seen it coming and put her hand on his shoulder.

"The Lab is destroyed, so we can't do much about it right now, but he'll come up with something." She sent Vegapunk a look pleading that he leave. He took the hint.

"So, Luffy, are you really the strongest person in your world?" Toma interrupted, grinning widely in excitement. Luffy's mood changed instantaneously, going from frustration to pride in a matter of moments.

"Yeah!" he declared, giving a 'Shishishi' of happiness.

"Even stronger than Whitebeard?"

"Of course!"

"I doubt that he'd be happy that you stole his title," Ricka murmured.

"He's dead, so he can't get upset anyway."

"_Dead?!_" both Toma and Ricka exclaimed.

"W-Who killed him?" Toma asked, starting to shake.

"Blackbeard," Luffy spat the name out in disgust.

"Does Blackbeard cause you a lot of trouble?" Ricka asked. In their world, Teach was one of the four Yonkou and the one who pretty much started the war. They had their hands full with him, so he must be a pain for the people in this other Luffy's world too.

"Not anymore."

"Anymore?"

"I beat the crap out of him. It was really hard to do though, because he stole Whitebeard's Devil Fruit …"

They shivered.

Toma grabbed Ricka and scooted away from him. Luffy tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Dammit, I'd never really considered the possibility," Toma swore under his breath. "Ricka, we have to be careful around him. This isn't the Luffy that we know. He's someone else, understand?"

She nodded.

_Rumble~_

"Ne, hey, you two, can I get some food?"

"Although, he _is_ going to be similar …"

* * *

Seeing Luffy eat was always fascinating. The way that he would impulsively stuff his face like a starving wild animal, or that whenever his Grandfather was around he would eat extra fast and choke half the time. It was like he inhaled it, simply forgoing chewing and swallowing. During Luffy's mealtimes, everyone would move to other tables so that they wouldn't have their food stolen by wandering fingers. The kid was flexible and had a long reach. To other people, it was disgusting and resulted in a lack of appetite, so they gladly handed their food to him. This just filled more of his bottomless pit of a stomach.

However, there was always a line to be drawn. This … this was just ridiculous. The amount of food he was shoveling down his gullet easily exceeded his normal (or their Luffy's) appetite. Spectators had given up on the idea of eating to simply watch in awe as he finished plate after plate without showing any sort of sign of slowing down.

Bottomless pit indeed.

Ricka grimaced and pitted his Nakama for the food bills they must have if this was normal.

He was different. So different and yet at the same time exactly the same. He was still like a child, laughing at the silliest things and acting carefree. The laugh was the same too. But there was a certain edge to him that made her feel like she was dealing with a wild animal. Certainly a very affectionate wild animal – rub his belly and feed him and he was content – but he had with claws and fangs that could tear through them without any effort.

Physically he was also very similar. This Luffy seemed more flexible and lithe, but definitely more muscled (considering that his chest was bare for the most part). He also didn't carry any weapons, and when Toma asked him what he fought with, he replied "my fists".

So that was rather strange.

Another thing that she noticed is that when Vegapunk had mentioned something that he didn't really like hearing, he had gotten downright _scary_. She wouldn't have believed it otherwise, but he could and would get mean if he needed to.

So similar, but so very different.

Word was slowly spreading through Headquarters of the mysterious project that the Science division had been working on. People were starting to flood the room, packed into the edges like sardines to catch a glimpse at the strongest man in the world. They were just as shocked as Ricka and Toma were when they found it was _Luffy_.

She saw the doubtful glances and shaking heads. They couldn't believe it. However, they hadn't seen his scary side yet. It was all the proof she had needed.

Toma raised an eyebrow at her from across the table that the three of them were currently seated at. The two of them were sitting a few feet away from Luffy, just trying to stay out of the splash zone. He noticed her staring at the rather large crowd.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded, but said nothing.

"Hey, uh … you! Is there any more?" she was startled and look to the side to see Luffy's abnormally large eyes staring right at her without blinking. She suppressed the urge to shudder and answered his question.

"Y-Yeah," she said and motioned towards the window into the kitchen. After about thirty seconds, yet more food was wheeled out so that the man could continue gorging.

Another thing that bothered her was that this Luffy had absolutely no idea who they were. He didn't recognize Toma or Ricka, his two best friends. It made her sad that he was so much stronger in his world but hadn't needed the two of them. Well, he did say that he had Nakama – just not them.

Frowning and looking back towards Toma, she noticed a burly man stalk towards their table. He had separated from the ring of bystanders around the room and was steadily advancing without resistance.

"Is there something you need?" she asked when he approached. Suddenly, she recognized the man; it was Garth, someone that their Luffy bunked with. He hated weakness and sometimes picked on Luffy. It was also pretty obvious that he wasn't exactly the smartest of men, and a stereotypical muscle head.

He smirked, "Naw, I just wanted to talk to my friend here."

If this Luffy was the strongest man, then she somewhat expected him to get angry or try and backtalk Garth. But … Luffy ignored him. It wasn't the kind of 'if I don't pay attention to him he'll leave me alone' sort of ignoring, it was that he genuinely either didn't care or didn't notice. He continued to stuff his face, not paying any attention to the now irritated Garth.

"Oi! Shrimp, I'm talking to you!"

Absolutely nothing.

Toma and Ricka shared a confused glance. It was simply baffling. Garth was just as confused and stood there with his mouth half-open and eyebrows upturned. When he didn't gather the reaction that he wanted, slammed his fists down on the table and shouted at the much smaller man.

Again, there was no reaction, just face-stuffing.

By this time the entire room was focused on the little scene in the center of the room. They had also realized that this wouldn't have been their Luffy's reaction, and was eager to see what this newcomer would do.

Garth then had enough of being in the background, and did the most natural thing. He grabbed the piece of food that was currently in Luffy's hands and tossed it over his shoulder.

Yeah, that got the guy's attention all right.

"Bastard! I was gonna eat that!" Luffy growled, glaring at the man. Garth took this as a sign of weakness and laughed, throwing his head back. Now that he had the strongest man's attention, he was reveling in the chance to try and drive him into the ground.

"Sorry, I just needed to talk to you, and since you were so distracted, I needed to grab your attention!"

Luffy frowned in return, "Then what do you want?"

Garth was taken aback and needed a moment to organize his thoughts. "Uh … Well, I don't know what you're trying to pull, but if you think we're going to believe this bullshit, then you're going to be in a world of hurt shrimp." He smiled in mockery and confidence, believing that he had done a good job at being intimidating. Behind him, some people looked uncertain, while some rolled their eyes or outright glared at the people from the science division.

Ricka could practically see what Toma was thinking at that moment. The crowd was displeased and refused to believe the possibility that maybe this _was_ a different, stronger Luffy from another world and not their Luffy.

She watched as Luffy lowered his chin slightly, but not in a submissive gesture. The way that his hat (the one he refused to take off since the get-go) shadowed his eyes and even hid one from view. The air around them grew thicker, and the menacing aura, combined with the intimidating appearance of the shadowed eyes made Ricka's gut clench in fear and her breath catch in her throat. "You want a fight?" he asked in a lower and deadly calm voice.

Garth, ignorant Garth, pressed on. He laughed right in his face. "_You_ shrimp? That would be a waste of my time!" Instead of getting angry, like they expected once again, Luffy shrugged and continued eating. Garth's attempts at goading him on failed completely. Enraged, Garth threw his fist at the other's face, intending to knock at least a few teeth out.

And then, something miraculous happened, stunning everyone in the room. Like he knew _exactly_ where it was going to hit, and without pausing in his eating, Luffy grabbed Garth's wrist with one hand, effectively and completely stopping it. Garth growled and tried to release his hand, but the grip was like iron.

With an effortless flick of his own wrist, Luffy sent Garth flying over his shoulder and into the other wall.

The crowd parted like the red sea, staring with jaws on the floor at the Garth-sized hole in the wall. The unconscious man was imbedded deeply in the brick. In that moment they knew, without a doubt, that his man was _not _to be messed with. He wasn't their Luffy.

He was the strongest man in the world.

Footsteps echoed through the eerily silent room (not including the sounds of scarfing). The doors were flung open and the silhouette of Sengoku himself filled the doorway (the seagull hat was the giveaway). He took one glance at the hole in the wall and _still_ eating Luffy, and effectively summed up the situation in his head.

"Monkey D. Luffy!" he called. The man called paused to look up at Sengoku. Whether it was in fear or respect, Ricka couldn't tell, but after that display of raw power she guessed it was the latter. "I need to speak to you."

* * *

The Vice-Admirals (minus one Monkey D. Garp) were whispering among themselves. In the war room, they sat with tense shoulders and spoke in hushed voices. Doubts and theories flitted around the room, filling it with a dull droning only this sort of activity could create.

The strongest man in the world (or his world) was at Headquarters, and rumored to be stronger than Whitebeard himself.

Immediately after the explosion that occurred in the Science Lab, panic and discord had rippled through Headquarters. All of the Admirals and Vice-Admirals had been assembled for an emergency meeting, and shortly after Vegapunk had entered to explain the situation.

Monkey D. Luffy was the name of the strongest person. It left them all speechless. They had no idea what to make of it.

Kizaru and Aokiji waited patiently for Sengoku and Luffy to arrive. They sat on either side of the Fleet Admiral's chair, watching the door like a couple of hawks.

They arrived without a special entrance and with a lack of gusto. The Vice-Admirals didn't even realize that Sengoku had arrived until the man cleared his throat rather loudly. They immediately quieted down and watched as he proceeded to his own seat across the room.

In the doorway, looking just as boyish as they expected, was Monkey D. Luffy.

"Get out of the way kid," a gruff voice said and the person belonging to the voice shoved Luffy aside to enter the room. It was Admiral Akainu, who hadn't gotten the memo and did not know that he pushed aside the reason the meeting had been called.

They all watched in mild horror as Luffy's fists clenched and he gritted his teeth in half-suppressed rage. For what reason, they couldn't fathom. Pure hatred rolled off of him in waves. Only when Akainu had taken his seat that Luffy looked right at Sengoku. "Make him leave," he growled, motioning towards a somewhat confused Akainu. The man didn't understand why the kid was calling the shots.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Admiral Akainu is a key part of our military and has just as much right to be here as anyone else." Sengoku tried to reason with the kid, but it didn't seem to be working.

"I don't care. Get rid of him or _I will_."

The threat was left hanging in the air.

"_Ha-ha-ha!_ Is this kid for real? Who the hell is he?" Akainu's barking laugh filled the room, accompanied by the sound of him slapping his knee.

"He's the reason we're here. He's the person Vegapunk got," Sengoku stated. That effectively shut Akainu up, and the older man eyed Luffy with some distrust. He didn't laugh again. "Luffy, I don't know what you have against him, and I don't really care. If he stays quiet, will you let him stay?"

Sengoku was being rather lenient, everyone thought. He obviously trusted Vegapunk, despite the pain that the scientist sometimes was.

Luffy looked like he was going to throw something, but instead frowned and nodded once.

"Take a seat then."

Cautiously, and shooting Akainu a distrusting glare, he sat down at the empty chair closest to the door. Everyone's eyes were focused solely upon him, but he did not fidget under their gaze.

After a moment of tense silence, Luffy's impatience got the better of him. "So, what did you want then?"

Sengoku paused for dramatic effect, before sighing, "I hate to admit it, but we need help. I don't know if Vegapunk told you yet, but we brought you into this world to ask for your assistance."

Luffy blinked owlishly at them for a few moments. They could practically see the gears turning in his head as he processed what they were asking. "My help?" he said it to himself more than anything, just to confirm that they were serious. Sengoku nodded in response to the rhetorical question. Luffy then laughed. Not a chuckle or his trademark 'Shishishi', but a full blown howl of laughter.

They were quite taken aback. There they were, having poured in countless Belli's into the project, hours upon hours of labor, taken the time to send Garp on a faux mission and had stooped so low as to ask for a single person's help (albeit in their world he was a solider in their army).

And he _laughed_ at them.

Akainu and a few of the Vice-Admirals looked ready to object, a few getting to their feet in rage. Sengoku put up his hand as a call for order, and as the laugher died down they reluctantly took their seats. Luffy then looked straight at Sengoku, a mischievous grin on his face. "What's in it for me?" he asked.

They were all confused, but thankfully Sengoku took it all in great stride. Vegapunk himself had said that there was a chance that he wouldn't help them. He was prepared for this. "What do you want?"

"Meat!" he declared immediately, causing a bead of sweat to form on everyone's temple. Luffy then paused to actually consider the proposition. "And lots of money. Nami'll kill me if I don't bring at least that much back."

Sengoku was unsure how much 'lots' entailed, but pushed it to the back of his mind. "Alright."

"Hold on! You can't actually be serious!" Akainu objected, breaking his implied order to remain silent. He slammed his fist against the table and growled at his superior.

"Hold on a minute, why don't we give the kid a chance first. Vegapunk assured us that he was the real deal, after all." Surprisingly, it was Kizaru who had spoken, getting to the point before Sengoku. The Fleet Admiral nodded his head and looked over at Aokiji.

Aokiji always had great ideas, so it was no surprise to him when they all fixated on him, searching for the logical answer to their problem. Even Akainu had halted in his protest to listen to him. "How about we have him take care of one of the former Shichibukai?"

The Shichibukai were widely known as one of the three great powers on the Grand Line – a sort of in-between. Not really on the Marine's side, but not really pirates (at least, not anymore). However, when the war started, the Marines had demanded that they chose a side and go with it. Unfortunately, most of them had chosen piracy. Some claimed to be simply watching the war unfold, but the Marines being suspicious of all pirates never really believed them.

If Luffy indeed was the strongest man, then defeating one of the Shichibukai wouldn't be a problem. If he was a fake, he would be pulverized.

The tension started to dissipate, and everyone calmed down. "How about we have him take care of that traitor Jimbei?" someone said.

There were nods of heads, and they looked towards the boy for his answer. He was frowning. "I won't fight Jimbei for you."

"Why not?"

"I won't fight Jimbei."

"How about Crocodile? He's been a real pain in our ass since that whole Alabasta fiasco," another Vice-Admiral suggested. Like the first time, they looked for Luffy's answer.

"Alabasta?" he asked instead. "Did something happen there?"

"Yes. In the middle of their Civil war, Crocodile caused a massive explosion in the capital city. Among the dead were the Royal Family and long-time criminal Nico Robin, but most of the deceased were innocent civilians."

Luffy's eyes took on a murderous glint, and a shiver of apprehension and an instinctual fear for one's life passed through all people in the room. Even the Admirals and Fleet Admiral found themselves wishing that they wouldn't have to fight the small man, which confused and shocked them.

"I'll take care of Crocodile."


	4. Proving Ground

**A/N: **I _really_ hated having to kill off Vivi and Robin. I love them both dearly and hate to see them hurt. However, it was nessecasry for the story and plot to move forward. Just imagine how this world would be affected if Luffy wasn't brought to Dadan and instead brought to fucking _MARINEFORD_. All the good things he's done, all the people he's helped and inspired ... imagine if everything Luffy did after brought to those mountain bandits **NEVER HAPPENED**.

Shits gonna get real, folks.

Now, I really appreciate your enthusiasm, but I can't appologize for taking so long in getting this out (although considering some fics, my updates are rather quick). I got a nasty case of Writer's block part way through and couldn't get this one scene done as good as I would have hoped. But the much anticipated Crocodile fight came out spectacularily (even if it was a bit short ...).

Here you go guys.

- DW

* * *

**Chapter Three  
**_Proving Ground  
_

He was perplexed. Strange thoughts swirled in his mind and threatened to overwhelm him. Who was this man, who had just made every Vice-Admiral in the room wet themselves out of fear? The boy was hardly an adult, smaller than most people in the room, and half the time he just grinned stupidly.

Sengoku frowned.

How … perplexing.

A fitting word indeed, as he felt a shudder pass down his own spine. The child wasn't even emitting Haki and he could still feel the strength of his will from across the room. He hadn't felt such a thing since the time Roger ran rampant across the world.

Perhaps Monkey D. Luffy, the child that he often found hiding under his desk with stolen food or hiding from his Grandfather, was capable of things they wouldn't even be able to comprehend. Maybe, _just maybe_, he was the strongest man in the world.

He was intrigued.

"I'll take care of Crocodile."

_Five words_ and everyone could feel the approaching doom. Emotions and sensations of nightmares from when they were children resurfaced, and while they were strong enough to not cry out for their mothers, they were left wishing for the same comfort. Sengoku watched as a few of his men gripped the edge of the table or their knees until their knuckles turned white. A few broke out into a cold sweat.

There was a satisfied, cold glint in the man's black eyes before he smirked. Some were able to breath once more, and Sengoku could feel his legs again. All gazes were fixed firmly on the kid sitting in a deceptively innocent manner in the chair closest to the door, strait across from Sengoku. He had his arms crossed over his chest, partially hiding his large scar from view; shoulders were slumped and relaxed; back leaning against the chair.

Luffy and Sengoku didn't break eye-contact through the entire event, and when the boy broke out into a mocking, self-satisfied, cat-like grin, the Fleet Admiral narrowed his eyes. It was as if he knew something Sengoku didn't, and liked to keep that something tickling the edges of his senses, driving him mad with curiosity.

He gave one curt nod, signaling that he was fine with the arrangement. If Luffy wanted to fight Crocodile, then he was welcome to. The former Shichibukai, as one of his Vice-Admirals had said, had been a rather large problem for them recently. He had defected, caused the deaths of nearly an entire country, wiped out a royal family and murdered a woman they'd been after since her debut at the burning of Ohara. It was embarrassing.

Crocodile wasn't one to be messed with. He had a painfully useful logia type Devil Fruit, was incredibly cunning and absolutely ruthless – a bad combination. However, after that display of power, Sengoku had little doubt that the scruffy young man sitting across from him could handle the sand-croc without getting out of breath.

Luffy rose to his feet. "Find me when you're ready to take me to him," he simply stated while adjusting the straw hat on his head. The boy then turned to leave, walking right out of the War Room like it was the most natural thing to do, like there weren't the Marine's top officials watching his every move.

The door clicked back into place, and the room felt marginally warmer. The strung-up Marines collapsed in their seats, one or two fighting back tears. Sengoku's frown grew deeper as he exchanged glances with the Admirals.

A stray thought caught his attention. When Luffy heard of Alabasta's fate, he was wearing the same expression he wore when facing down Admiral Akainu.

* * *

The found him wandering the halls like a lost puppy. Toma was the first to spot him. Luffy strolled down the hallway, glancing over his shoulder every so often and arms comfortably placed behind his head. He looked both relaxed and nervous. He refused to look out the windows, which Ricka thought odd because the view was fantastic.

"Oi, Luffy!" Toma called, causing the one addressed to pause in his wandering. He looked over at the two of them, and a smile broke out across his unusually somber face. She and Toma trotted up to him.

"What did Fleet Admiral Sengoku want with you?" Ricka blurted out. It had been nagging her since the man had barged in earlier in the day. They hardly ever saw him even close to there, so it was surprising in the act itself, never mind the reason for the visit.

Luffy chuckled in the memory, "He wants my help, but first wants proof that I'm strong."

"Proof?" Toma asked.

"I'm going to go beat the crap out of Crocodile for them."

Ricka felt her stomach drop. Sure, this Luffy was scary and could easily toss a two hundred pound man over his shoulder, but Crocodile was a former Shichibukai!

_He's the strongest man in the world,_ she reminded herself.

"He's got a pretty nasty ability, so be careful at least," Toma said in warning.

"I know. I've fought him before."

"You have?" Ricka asked.

Luffy nodded, but he frowned sullenly, as though it brought heavy memories.

* * *

"You can feel it, can't you?" Vice-Admiral Stainless murmured, sipping at an alcoholic drink only serving to calm his frayed nerves. They were all a little uneasy as of late. His fellow in arms said nothing in reply, eyes trained on the people running about below. His usually dopey eyes were sharp and attentive.

The two of them watched in silence as they watched their subordinates. The Luffy kid had arranged a sort of impromptu soccer game on the main deck to pass the time. Many of the lower ranking officers and a few of the older ones had joined in until both teams had a decent amount of players. Luffy was dominating the field, using his now apparent speed to easily dart between people. The Vice-Admirals on the deck above could tell that he was going easy on the other players and had little doubt that he could move _much_ faster.

"There's something I don't like about that kid," Yamakaji said, "It's like …"

"I know."

They had no need to explain the cold feeling settled in their guts; the nervousness they both felt since the boy had walked into their meeting that day a week prior; an instinctual wariness towards the monster currently laughing his head off as he passed the ball to someone else.

Currently they were on a warship heading through the Grand Line towards Alabasta. Crocodile had a thing for sand (being made of the stuff) and fought the best on his home turf, so the ex-Shichibukai was seemingly reluctant to leave the ruined country. The last inhabitants of the island remained – crushed, defeated, but still loyal to the late sovereigns. The Marines hadn't been prepared to move in, having to deal with a large scale war blossoming on the horizon, so they let Croc have the desolate country (even if it was never admitted).

"That kid … do you think he has ties with the royal family?"

"Probably, considering his reaction to the news of their deaths," Stainless concluded. Luffy's reaction had been a little strange, but they only noticed in hindsight. At the time they had been too afraid to think clearly. "But … he also looked pretty angry at Admiral Akainu."

"For a moment I thought he was going to attack him," Yamakaji admitted, a shiver traveling up and down his spine. He took a cigar out of his pocket and lit it. "There's obviously bad blood between them."

"Yeah …"

* * *

The stones were already worn down by sand, the blurred letters hardly legible in the setting sun. The sand was stained orange in the dying light. Monkey D. Luffy sat down in the sand in front of the stones, his head bowed and mouth silent. The boy had taken his hat off as a sign of respect.

The crew that had traveled with him to Alabasta's Capital watched on as the boy mourned the royal family of their world. Tears swam on the edges of some of their eyes as they took in the sad sight before them. Two gravestones erected in front of the crater that used to be Alubarna, each representing the two members of the royal family: Nefertari Cobra and Nefertari Vivi. To their backs was a field of graves to symbolize the rest of the dead.

There were no remains, only graves. The explosion had erased everything.

After many minutes of solemn silence Luffy slowly rose to his feet and replaced the hat onto the crown of his head. When he turned around, his face was like stone. The man simply stalked past the rest of them, shoving people aside when needed. They watched, speechless as Luffy steadily made his way towards to two Vice-Admirals at the back of the crowd. He stopped in front of them to make his demands. "We go to Rainbase."

"Rainbase?" Stainless said with a frown.

"Aa, that's where Crocodile will be," Luffy said with certainty.

"Alright."

* * *

Their arrival at Rainbase was a quiet one, but not unnoticed. There were people there. Scraggly, skinny and sick looking people whose eyes showed their lack of hope and the way they waked seemed liked a shuffle to the execution stand.

Soon enough they recognized the group as the Marines. Light flashed in dull eyes and they instinctively flocked to the promise of safety. A crowd of followers accumulated behind them as they trekked through the city.

Stainless and Yamakaji exchanged glances, but wordlessly followed their self-declared leader. Luffy walked steadily through the city as though he knew his way around. His face was shadowed by his hat, but the unfortunate Marines didn't need to look at his face to read his mood – he was radiating pure hatred and the intent to kill.

When they arrived at the Casino in the middle of the city, Crocodile was waiting for them.

His own little personal army consisted of at least ten Bananawani's ("Holy shit!" said a Marine officer before he soiled himself), the Baroque Works agents and many, many footmen. The small group of Marines were instantly surrounded. The Vice-Admirals let their hands rest on the hilt of their swords, eyes darting back and forth at the crowd. People were about to get hurt.

The agents and their partners watched the group of Marines with hungry, blood-lusted eyes. They stretched muscles, cracked knuckles or readied weapons. Noticeably the '9' and '8' agents and their partners were missing. The Bananawani's licked their lips and eyed the smaller men, anticipating their next meals. And then there stood Crocodile on top of the bridge crossing his personal lake in all his slicked back hair, face scar, cigar smoking, huge coat glory, grinning down at them smugly.

"Oi, Mustache-Ossan," Luffy spoke for the first time since they left Alubarna. Stainless, who had given up trying to correct the boy on the use of the annoying nickname, turned his head to stare at the boy's back. "You wanted him alive, right?"

"Yes."

A burst of incredibly intense Haki erupted from the small man's body, and their eyes immediately rolled back into their heads as each and every one of them fainted.

* * *

_'What's wrong with not wanting anyone to die?'_

_ 'People die.'_

_ He received a stinging slap to his left cheek._

Luffy walked forward towards the dumbfounded Crocodile. He could tell that the former Shichibukai had wanted to unleash his self-centered egotistical speech about how there was no chance in hell that they would survive and that it was a waste of time to come all the way out there. The Pirate King had already heard that drivel and wasn't inclined to listen to it again.

_'Stop talking like that! I'm not going to let you say that again! That's exactly what we're trying to prevent! Not the Rebel Army, not the Royal Army … no one in this country is at fault. So why does anyone have to die!? It's all Crocodile's fault!'_

_ He punched her in the face._

_ 'Then why are YOU risking your life!?'_

In this world, he wasn't there for her. She probably did all she could to stop the rebellion, and because she had no one to rely on, she died. Luffy cracked his knuckles as he ascended the stairs to the bride across the moat, heading right for Crocodile. He had purposely left Crocodile conscious so that he would be awake when Luffy beat the shit out of him.

In his own world Crocodile was no longer a threat. He stayed out of the King's way and avoided Alabasta like the plague – he knew that if he went anywhere near Vivi or her country, Luffy would kill him.

_'From looking at this country, what needs to be done most …'_

_ She started to punch and slap him, taking out her frustration on the boy she was sitting on, 'What of it?!'_

_ '… is even clear … to me! You think risking your one life will be enough!?'_

_ 'Then what am I supposed to risk!? What am I–' He grabbed her arms to stop her abuse of him. 'I have nothing else left to risk … Nothing …'_

_ It enraged him. He threw her off, 'Try risking our lives along with yours! WE'RE YOUR NAKAMA!'_

_ She cried._

Not here. She had no Nakama to rely on here.

She was dead. Robin too.

The Luffy in this world wasn't a pirate. So he hadn't gotten involved with Alabasta's civil war. Vivi died, and he hadn't met Robin either. It made him sick to think that his archeologist would have been snuffed out like a candle, no one caring about her death and simply fading from the world as though she was worth nothing. Luffy would be sure to hug her when he got back, and then go visit Vivi and hug her too.

_'I WANT TO LIVE!'_

Words and memories crowded his mind as he rushed forward and punched Crocodile in the gut before the slimy man could even process what was going on. Luffy hadn't even needed to use Bosushoku Haki to send him flying into his casino.

Luffy launched himself in after his prey. Crocodile was still on the floor as he swooped in to deliver a rather nasty blow to the jaw. As he expected, Crocodile had recovered a little and managed to activate his Devil Fruit powers; his head disintegrated, shortly followed by the rest of his body.

"Where did you come from?" Crocodile growled in an echoic voice. He did not materialize, clearly betraying his fear.

"Another world," Luffy hissed before jumping into the air and striking with a Haki-imbued fist. That section of Crocodile's body solidified, and his head as well as the man coughed up blood. Luffy sent the wretch to the floor where he stared as Luffy landed in front of him. The whole room shook as a shockwave passed though.

Crocodile knew in that moment that he was a dead man. This small person was only toying with him, drawing out the battle only to satisfy the urge to destroy. Luffy pulled back his arm before throwing his upper half forward. The fist collided painfully with his chest, and he felt a handful of ribs crumble. A foot came as a follow up and kicked him to the side into another wall.

Luffy wasn't even breaking a sweat.

The Pirate ran forward and swung a right hook into Crocodile's jaw. He heard a snap, and blood sprayed against the wall where the Croc's face collided with it. Luffy wasn't hitting as hard as he knew he could; he wanted him to stay conscious.

By then Crocodile had given up on fighting. All he could do was pray for the nightmare to end. Luffy was absolutely ruthless in his beating, using his Haki to completely dominate. He wasn't even using his devil fruit powers.

The livid eyes offset the stony expression that the boy wore. Obviously Crocodile had done something to piss him off. The former Shichibukai contemplated this as he was sent tumbling across the floor, leaving a bloody trail in his wake.

Footsteps accompanied Crocodile's labored breathing. The nearly dead man looked up to see the boy looming over him, preparing for another blow. With much effort, and a little bit of blood, he managed to cough, "What have I done to you?"

Luffy's eyes widened and then narrowed. "You killed Vivi, her family, her people and Robin. I'll never forgive you."

"You said … you're from another world …?"

"The other me wasn't here for them. So instead I'll give the Robin and Vivi of this world the revenge they deserve."

"Why ... are you fighting for them … in this world though?"

"Because, even if it's another world, _they're still my Nakama_," Luffy roared and let the punch fly. A crater opened up around them.

Before Crocodile lost consciousness, he managed to spit out, "Who the _hell _do you think you are?!"

Luffy brought both of his hands together right above Crocodile's head. His eyes were icy cold now. "I am …" he began before snarling at his victim, "THE PIRATE KING!" The boy stopped just short of shattering Crocodile's skull, and the ex-Shichibukai knew no more.

* * *

Stainless felt chills consume his body periodically. His eyes flickered before he tried to sit up. Groans drifted up from his party as the others began to wake. The first thing he noticed was that he was surrounded by people who were either out like a light or barely lucid. Yamakaji seemed to be in a similar state as him. As Vice-Admirals, stronger than the average Joe, they were among the first to awake.

None of the Baroque Works agents or backup were conscious. All were sprawled out in front of Rain Dinners, some foaming at the mouth. The wave of Haki had knocked all of them out in less than a second.

_Just how powerful is he …?_ He thought in horror. That's when he looked over at the casino to see it in absolute ruins. There was nothing left. All reduced to rubble.

He gaped at the figure standing on top of the pile. Luffy jumped down from his work, dragging a bloody pulp of a human being (which he hardly recognized as Crocodile) and looking like his heart rate hadn't risen from his destructive activities.

Luffy then dropped the hardly alive ex-Shichibukai at his feet. The boy crossed his arms over his chest and practically _dared_ the Vice-Admiral with his eyes to object to what he had done.

Stainless swallowed thickly and wisely said nothing.


	5. Longings

**A/N: **Definiately not my best ... this was kinda painful to write. Good news is that the next chapter _should_ be a little quicker out. I can't promise anything though.

Another thing I forgot to mention in my last AN. The gravity of the situation is worse than you think. The Marine Luffy has _never met Shanks or Ace or any of those people._He probably spent some time in his home village (because I think that's where he was born ... not sure), but that place never really made an impact on him. Not only that but he doesn't have Devil Fruit powers or his hat (I'm pretty sure I've hinted at those ...).

Great, now here's the next chapter. :)

- DW**  
**

* * *

**Chapter Four**  
_Longings  
_

Stainless gave a low sigh, wiping the sweat off his brow. His sleeves were rolled up his arms and his honorary coat stored within his luggage. The hot sun was beating down on them without mercy; Mother Nature was not feeling kind.

They were on their way to Erumalu to meet up with the ship that was to take them back to Marineford. The locals of Rainbase had offered to take them all back via sand-ship, which the Marines happily agreed to. None of them were very keen on traveling camel-back.

After freeing the oppressed people, they were greeted as heroes. They were all still trying to rouse themselves from Luffy's Haki, but they were otherwise all right. The Marines quickly rounded up Baroque works, and everything was fine. Everyone marveled over the mass destruction that the boy had caused, and they were forced to call a doctor so that Crocodile didn't die before he reached Impel Down.

Speaking of Luffy, the young man was currently seated on one of the other sand-ships, sleeping. Stainless was rather perturbed by the recent turn of events. All the fears he'd been subconsciously feeling were now brought to the surface. They had been proved. This man was dangerous, and he was infinitely glad that he was on _their _side.

Although, having said that, Stainless was beginning to doubt that. The boy only seemed to be 'going with the flow', humoring them while they worked on a way to get him home. He even wanted something_ in_ _return_ for helping them.

Stainless was beginning to wonder if Luffy was actually a Marine.

A gust of wind carrying sand took his mind off more morbid thoughts, and he turned his attention to shielding his face.

* * *

Yamakaji and Stainless swallowed in unison. Both were nervously watching the innocent mollusk stationed on the desk. Its eyes were still closed in sleep, but they knew it wouldn't be for long. They were expecting a call.

"_Belu-belu-belu, belu-belu-belu, belu-belu-belu_," the snail suddenly reacted, opening its eyes to stare up at the two Vice-Admirals, as though to say 'pick up already'. Muttering something incomprehensible, Stainless reached over and picked up the microphone attachment. "_Katcha. Vice-Admiral, please deliver your report_," Sengoku's voice same from the snail, and both of them began to sweat profusely.

"Y-Yes, sir. We're leaving the country right now, sir. Crocodile is in custody."

_"In custody? Was it Monkey D. Luffy?"_

"Yes."

_"Tell me exactly what happened, in as much detail as you can."_

Stainless winced before beginning to speak, "I'm sorry sir, but there isn't much I can say. We arrived at Crocodile's hideout, and just before we began to fight with Baroque works the kid asked for clarification on whether or not we wanted Crocodile alive. He then knocked all of us unconscious."

"_Unconscious?_"

"He used Haoshoku Haki. We didn't even stand a chance," he admitted. There hadn't even been any resistance in him against that raw power and dominance. It was nothing like he'd experienced before.

"_I see, continue._"

"After we woke up Crocodile's base was rubble and Crocodile himself wasn't in much better condition."

"_What about Luffy?_"

"Wasn't even tired."

There was a moment of silence, which Stainless assumed was a thoughtful reflection on the new information.

"_Thank you for the report, you may return to your duties,_" the reply was short and formal. The snail fell asleep once more.

* * *

Luffy was forced (and not without much whining on his part) into the meeting which was, ironically, about him … again.

This time it was only he, the Admirals and Sengoku. He allowed himself to be brought into the war room by the back of his shirt like some sort of puppy, pouting the entire while and dragging his feet when he could. He was surprisingly light for being so strong, so Aokiji had no problems whatsoever carrying him all the way through headquarters from his sort-of party.

They just started to break out the Sake too …

The pirate was deposited just inside the door, and he decided that a place on top of the table would be a nice spot for his snack. The other two Admirals watched with one eye open as he sat Indian-style on top of their nice conference table and began gobbling up hunks of meat he brought with him.

Luffy watched too. He closely monitored all three Admirals to see what they would do. He didn't trust them, and that bastard Akainu made his hackles rise without actually being there. He was trying to remain calm, but the mere mention of his name made his vision go red.

That motherfucker was one of the very few people he would _never_ forgive.

But this was one of those few occasions that patience was necessary. If he pissed them off then they wouldn't take him home. God knew how much he missed his Nakama.

He knew Sengoku was on the way long before he arrived. The Fleet-Admiral entered the room with a scowl on his face. He swept past them and assumed his seat, reclining with a sigh and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Monkey D. Luffy, I have to thank you for cleaning up that mess in Alabasta for us,–" Luffy frowned slightly. It wasn't the first time that he cleaned up the Marine's mess, "–so I have no problem formally asking for your assistance."

Luffy continued to eat, but slower this time and keeping eye contact with Sengoku.

"We are currently in the midst of a war between four sides: the Marines, Blackbeard and Big Mom, the Revolutionary Army and an alliance between Whitebeard and Red-Hair."

"Blackbeard?"

"Aa, he's currently our main priority. After he took down one of the supernovas and betrayed us, we've been looking for a way to stop him. However, all our attempts have failed."

Luffy snorted, "You can't fight him the normal way. His Devil Fruit powers neutralize other Devil Fruit powers on top of having his own." All four Marines looked quite taken aback. He watched them out of the corner of his eye as he shoved several pounds of spare meat down his throat.

Kizaru gave a short laugh, "Well that explains why even one of _us_ had trouble with him." Aokiji nodded in agreement.

Luffy didn't mind Aokiji as much as the others. The iceman had even lent him a hand before in a key fight. He also saved Robin as a child and let them escape on several occasions (even if he was once frozen solid by him). But right now Luffy could tell that the Admiral was trying to read him, trying to find some sort of sign that the rubber man would betray them.

Well, Luffy wasn't exactly the 'betraying' type. He was very straightforward. If the Marines held up their end of the deal he had no problem helping them out, as long as they didn't ask him to fight people who he liked in his own world.

But there was also another thing bothering him. That blonde girl … Rice, or something like that, and her friend that looked like a mouse often talked about the other him, who was a Marine. They obviously knew him. What bothered him was that he hadn't encountered his other self at all yet.

"What _I_ want to know is what exactly you did to that Shichibukai. You _hid_ that battle." Akainu's dog-like growl shook Luffy out of his inner-musings. The pirate looked over at the Admiral, trying not to spit fire and attack him.

No one else spoke while Luffy and Akainu had their own little stare-down. "If anyone else had been awake, they would've fought each other," Luffy said, giving one of the reasons he'd knocked everyone out at Rainbase.

"Listen you stupid brat, I don't care who the hell you are but I don't like your attitu–"

Akainu had unwittingly crossed a line drawn in Luffy's mind. Any sign of aggression would be punished accordingly. The way the Admiral spoke began to make the pirate feel sick, and he even stopped eating, and the glare he sent effectively shut him up.

Luffy jumped off the table and sent a Haki-imbued fist strait into the man's jaw. He made sure not to hit hard enough to knock him out. That would be bad. Luffy stalked over to the lava man, who was trying to sit up with his back to the wall. Three pairs of eyes drilled into his back.

He grabbed Akainu by the throat, squeezing his windpipe with a little more force than necessary. The man would definitely have bruising later. "Listen, I'll only say it once," Luffy growled in a threateningly low voice, "I am _so close_ to ripping your guts out and feeding them to you. _One wrong move_ and I'll take pleasure in killing you slowly and painfully, understand?"

Akainu, despite not knowing how he got in Luffy's bad graces, nodded while grabbing at the hand closed around his neck. Absolutely disgusted by the wretch, Luffy threw Akainu to the side. The heavy body of the Admiral crashed through the wall.

He made his way to the door, grabbing his hat and securing it back on his head. "I'll help you, but keep that bitch away from me, or _I will_ go through with my threat," he said to Sengoku.

The tone of his voice left no room for arguments.

* * *

Garp scowled over a new edition of the newspaper.

'_ALABASTA RESTORED – EX-SHICHIBUKAI SENT TO IMPEL DOWN'_

Since when did this happen? By the date printed on it, this was a recent event. The inside story was mostly based on rumors and speculation, but the key point was that the Marines were behind it.

He scowled. Such a plan would never be hidden from him unless there was something _else_ behind it, something that he would've protested against. A cold feeling filled his gut. This wasn't going to end well.

"Ji-chan~, what'cha reading?" Luffy's obnoxious voice floated by his ear, and the Vice-Admiral flinched. The boy had somehow climbed onto his chair and was now dangling over the back of it, trying to read over his grandfather's shoulder. Garp sighed and massaged one of his temples.

"The newspaper," the easiest way to satiate the boy down was to give quick, simple answers to his quick, simple questions.

"Anything interesting going on?"

Garp decided that his grandson didn't need to know about the Crocodile incident and turned to another, more mundane everyday business page. "No, go bother someone else."

"But they all kicked me out," the boy whined in a high-pitch voice that only seemed to serve the purpose of grating on his nerves.

"Get out!" he yelled before grabbing Luffy by the shirt collar and throwing him out.

* * *

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Ricka asked, voice quiet. The young man looked over his shoulder, smiling softly at her. She climbed out onto the roof with him, careful not to slip and fall off the building. The water of the bay sparkled orange and yellow in the sunrise. People were just beginning to rise, so spoke spiraled up from several houses in the city below. Ships were beginning to move, the harbor bells ringing in the morning air. "You didn't stay here the entire night did you?"

Luffy shook his head 'no'. Ricka frowned again. His eyes were distant. Instead of looking at ease when he gazed at the peaceful setting, he seemed more conflicted. She didn't like that. "What are you thinking about?"

"My brother," he replied simply.

"I didn't know you had a brother," she blinked in surprise.

"We're not brothers by blood, but he's my brother all the same."

That made far more sense. "Where did you grow up?" It was a legit question. Their Luffy grew up in Marineford with his grandfather, but had no brother. So maybe he lived somewhere else?

"East Blue."

They returned to silence. Ricka let out a sigh as the wind ruffled their hair. There was something that had been bothering her lately, something she needed to ask him. "Are you a Marine?" There. She did it. No one could say she didn't try.

He was quiet for a moment, "No."

"I figured as much," she sighed, "What are you then?"

He looked at her once again, a strange look in his eyes. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes."

"You can't let anyone else know," he said firmly. He made her promise not to tell. She promised. "I'm a pirate."

…

_You have got to be shitting me!_

Ricka reeled, and even took a step back from him. Somehow the title 'pirate' both fit him and didn't at the same time. "No way …" she whispered, her body beginning to tremble.

Luffy pouted like a child, "You don't have to be scared."

Swallowing, Ricka pulled herself together. "P-Pirate? Why the hell are you a pirate?!"

"When I was seven a pirate saved my life and gave me this hat. I promised him that I would meet him again someday to return it as a strong pirate." The words came naturally from his mouth, and Ricka suddenly had no trouble believing him. She counted to five and decided that she needed to stop looking for similarities between the two Luffy's and treat them like two separate people. She didn't know this man.

"Did you?" she asked.

He nodded before smiling brightly. "Shanks gave it back to me though, said I deserved it."

_ Shanks? He can't possibly mean …_

"Do you mean Red Haired Shanks?" Ricka raised her eyebrows. Luffy nodded.

Well shit, this man had _connections_.

"If you're a pirate, then why are you helping us?" she asked.

He frowned at her before smiling once again, "They're going to give me lots of money to bring back, and you're also my only way home …"

That's when Ricka realized. They'd taken him from his Nakama. He was a pirate, and apparently the strongest man in the world. His crew would be _pissed_. She suddenly resolved to help Vegapunk find a way for him to get him back and or send a message to his friends that he was just fine.

"Tell me about your crew," Ricka asked. She inferred that he was the captain.

Any trace of a thoughtful mood that had been plaguing him minutes earlier vanished to be replaced by joy. He began to describe the different people: a directionally-impaired swordsman (who'd become the strongest swordsman by defeating Mihawk), a money and Mikan loving navigator who drew maps of the entire world, a lying, brave, manly sharpshooter, a women-loving cook who'd dreamed of All Blue (which apparently existed too!), a Reindeer doctor who'd wanted to be able to cure anything and travel with his Nakama, an archeologist that had wanted to know the past, a cyborg shipwright that wanted his ship to be the best and travel all oceans in the world and a perverted afro-skeleton that waited fifty or so years to reunite with his Nakama.

Ricka was amazed. She laughed along with the pirate, finally feeling at ease around him. And he wasn't such a bad person for a pirate either. Maybe the world wasn't as cut and dry as she'd made it out to be after all.

Maybe there was hope for them too.


	6. Rush of Blood

**A/N: **I'm in the middle of a tough time and my writing is currently taking a back seat. I've been worried about my health, Bio is kicking my ass and just interacting with different people is stressing me out. I'm not even getting enough sleep, really. I'm not going to apologize for not getting it out sooner because I'm honestly not writing this for you. I'm writing this for me, and I've decided to share it (because that just lights up my life when I get positive feedback).

I like reading your reviews. Some of your comments and opinions even make me think. I know a recurring request is that the other Straw Hats go into that world. However, this story isn't really about them, but I _have_ considered the idea. So they'll probably pop in at the very end to take Luffy home, but that's about it. They don't have a real place in the plot. Because yes, believe it or not, this has an actual plot and isn't just for shits and giggles.

Also, _for the love of god_ don't ask me to write longer chapters. They'll be as long as they will. End of story. Stop being so greedy.

(You can tell that I'm not in a good mood when I'm writing this, can't you?)

Right.

**Alia Inverse**: Yes Luffy and Ace will meet, and Ace is definitely darker than before, but I still think that he'd join up with Whitebeard. Ace has been through a lot in both worlds and I can't take that home from him.

**Lord Edric**: I'm not going to go into much detail (or none) about what happened to the other Straw Hats. Yeah I think Zoro would go on a rampage when he finds Helmeppo lied, and would survive (even if he earned himself a bounty from that). Nami I think would be alive but absolutely miserable, knowing that Arlong is a sadistic son of a bitch. Oh, here's a thought. If Luffy didn't help out, do you think that she'll meet Jimbei? Other than those two most of them would be dead or in similar shitty situations ... (Chopper, Usopp, Robin and Sanji are definitely dead ...)

**Esaki Nalex**: Good job for spotting that!

**Insane Blood Prince**: Think about this. The Marines hate pirates (especially a select few) and if they were to discover Luffy's identity as a pirate they would attack and either try to arrest him and send him to Impel down, or outright kill him. The main thing is that they wouldn't send him home (because they're nowhere near strong enough to take him down), and he's really missing his crew, so he wants to keep them happy.

Alright. So one more thing. Before you ask this stupid question, _no_, I'm not including any pairings.

* * *

**Chapter Five  
**_Rush of Blood  
_

Vegapunk fidgeted nervously under his superior's gaze. Sengoku watched the elder man like a hawk, eyes never wavering or shifting from the panicking man. The silence was thick and stifling, both only waiting for the inevitable pin-drop to break the awkwardness.

"You've been hiding something from us, Vegapunk," Sengoku slowly said, making sure that Vegapunk comprehended the pressure he put behind the words. He, being the mad and ingenious scientist that he was, completely understood and nodded after a short pause.

"Aa, I have," Vegapunk said, giving a loud sigh before he settled down in a chair in front of the desk. He had been caught red handed, so he might as well spill the beans. "It was me who stole all the light fixtures from–"

"Dammit this isn't about that!" Sengoku shouted, a dangerous tick mark appearing on his forehead. Vegapunk laughed.

Joking aside, he knew perfectly well that now was the time to explain. There wasn't really a need to keep secrets from the Fleet Admiral, after all. "Alright, alright, I'll be serious."

"Tell me what you know about Monkey D. Luffy," Sengoku said, reminding himself of who he was talking to.

"Well, first of all," Vegapunk began, "I should explain that I don't know the whole of it myself. I contacted myself from numerous worlds until I got lucky. I explained the situation and he suggested Luffy."

Sengoku raised his eyebrows, "Really? It was that simple?"

"Oh, no, it's a bit more complicated. Their world is in a surprising time of peace, but most people don't really recognize that it's peaceful. Monkey D. Luffy, the undisputed strongest man in their world, is no hero."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Sengoku frowned, thinking over the possibilities. Those words struck a chord of uneasiness deep inside him, and the reports and demonstration of the boy's power (even if only a fraction) were enough to concern him.

"He's dangerous, Sengoku. Risk follows him constantly, wherever he goes. He's saved thousands of lives, but he's ruined just as many. Can you comprehend that Sengoku? No one has experienced anything like it since Roger still sailed the seas." A sparkle of excitement and imagination twinkled in the elder's eyes.

"So he's not a Marine."

"No, not by a long shot," Vegapunk chuckled and shook his head, "That's what separates our two worlds – the occupation of Monkey D. Luffy. He's a catalyst. My other self told me that he's unpredictable, so we have to be careful. Right now he's under the impression that we are his only way home to his Nakama – who have let us borrow him by the way – which puts us in a position of leverage. However it's a dangerously precarious position and if we were to make _one _wrong move he could and _would_ annihilate us."

"Why does he think that we're the only option?" Sengoku asked.

Vegapunk grimaced. "Well, I … uh … sort of outright lied to his face. His Nakama know he's here, but he doesn't know that they know. Not only that but we can send him back any time."

"Idiot, if he's really as powerful as you say, why on earth didn't you tell him?"

"He'll try not to cause as much of a ruckus, which is good for us. He's notorious for stirring up trouble."

Sengoku massaged his temples, feeling an oncoming migraine. The situation had just become a lot more complicated.

* * *

Ricka fumbled with a tall stack of papers and folders, on her way to deliver them to her superior. Her glasses were askew and her nose itched terribly, but she couldn't put down the mountain of paperwork. Recent events had spurred a movement in headquarters, and everyone was feeling the strain.

Her thoughts were turbulent and chaotic. Questions droned on like bees, battering her repeatedly and not helping her in the slightest. For every question answered two more would take its place

She was so lost in her thoughts that when she rounded the corner the bumped into someone, sending all her pages to the floor. "Sorry!" she squeaked, not even bothering to check who it was. Immediately her focus was on the things scattered across the floor. Irritation tickled at the edges of her mind. She was very tired.

"Watch where you're going next time," a deep voice said. Ricka glanced upwards and spluttered in surprise. It was none other than Admiral Akainu.

She jumped to her feet, giving a quick salute, "Yes sir!"

Before she could return to collecting her things Akainu grabbed her by the arm and looked into her eyes. "You're friends with that Luffy brat, right?"

"Err … well … I guess?" It was true she was friends with _their_ Luffy, but the other one she wasn't so sure. At that point she had no idea which one he was talking about.

"What do you know, girl? You have got to know something about that bastard. There isn't something right about him."

A wave of panic overcame Ricka, and though she tried to hide it the expression was painfully obvious. The grip on her arm tightened, and the hand heated up. Fear accompanied the panic as he shook her small form savagely. "Tell me what you know!"

He was definitely talking about the other Luffy. The burden of knowing that Luffy was a pirate suddenly became very heavy as she looked up into the Admiral's face. He was an idealistic juggernaut that cruelly enforced his viewpoint. To him all pirates were scum, and those scum had to be killed.

Though she didn't know him that well, and even though he was a pirate, she couldn't bear to see him dead.

"Tell me!" he shouted, and tears sprung to her eyes. She wrenched her bruised arm out of his grip and ran, not caring about the lost paperwork any longer.

She would tell no one of what had just occurred.

* * *

"Ow!"

"Hold still dammit!"

Ricka fumed as Luffy pouted childishly. After the incident concerning Crocodile, Luffy had sort of unofficially become a part of their military in some people's eyes. So of course he had been sent for a general physical and checkup. Ricka was drawing blood, and the boy simply refused to co-operate.

"You stick it in too hard," Luffy stuck out his tongue at the young doctor, who growled in return.

"Shut up," she replied, feeling a vague sense of deja-vu. Sometimes he was too much like the Luffy that she knew. It made her inexplicably sad. This man, this pirate, was so strong, had gone through so much pain and agony, was hated for being _born_ and yet his life was filled with joy. The way he spoke told volumes. He loved being alive. He loved being a pirate.

Their Luffy had only spoken once of being a pirate. Only once, and it surprised both Ricka and Toma, the only two witnesses. It was just a childhood dream, he said, when he thought the world was just peachy and such adventure was real. Ricka hated that conversation. The way that he spoke that time was nothing like the boy she knew. He sounded regretful, as though he still longed for that childhood fantasy.

And here he was, from a different world, with different abilities and friends, living his dream.

She hoped that the two wouldn't meet. The end result would be disastrous.

Ricka huffed, "Hold out your arm, I still can't find a vein."

"No, I don't wanna."

"_For the love of god _don't make this harder than it should be!" she shouted. He laughed it off, but finally complied.

She grabbed his arm and searched for the tell-tale blue mark. When she couldn't find one on the inside of his elbow she turned to his hand and examined the back of it. With a small smile she finally found one and carefully inserted the sterile needle. Luffy wrinkled his nose at the smell of the antibacterial wipes, but otherwise didn't complain.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Ricka said as she carefully labeled the sample before placing it in the tray. "By the way, why does your skin feel rubbery?"

The pirate laughed, surprising her. He continued to grin as he answered, "I ate a Devil Fruit when I was little: the Gomu Gomu no Mi. I'm a rubber man!"

That certainly explained a lot. "Rubber man?" Ricka asked.

"Yeah!" Luffy hooked his finger on the corner of his mouth and pulled. The skin stretched, extending farther than should be possible. When he let go it quickly snapped back into place.

"Whoa," Ricka grinned. She hadn't yet had the chance to examine a Devil Fruit user's ability up close before. "How far can you stretch?"

"Why don't I show you?" he chuckled. "Just go up to the roof tonight."

"Alright!" her eyes sparkled, and she could feel the stirrings of an adventurous spirit from deep within her. This man's optimism was contagious.

* * *

Ricka sneezed when she opened the door up to roof. It was a crisply chill night and the moon was full and bright, illuminating the city below in a silvery light. He was already there, wearing a sweater temporarily borrowed. His Straw Hat moved slightly with the wind from its place on his back, hanging from his neck by a string.

When she stepped out onto the roof he immediately turned his head to look at her. He slowly stood up, careful not to fall off and approached her. "You ready?"

Ricka nodded, undeniably curious. She wouldn't admit it, but she was very excited to see more of his abilities. "Yeah."

With a 'Shishishi', he turned around, scanning the city with a smile. "Climb onto my back and hold tight." A frown marked her confusion, but she did it never the less. He made sure that her grip was strong enough before he singled out a single spot further down.

He sent his arm stretching into the distance, where it latched onto a flag pole. Realization and horror dawned on Ricka, but it was far too late. With a scream on her part both of them were launched at break-neck speeds.

She was sure she was strangling him, especially since he was trying to loosen her death-grip on his neck. That had probably been the most reckless and stupid thing she had ever been a part of. "Are you an idiot?! We could have died!"

He laughed and made sure that she wasn't about to suffocate him before launching them off in another random direction in a similar fashion. Very soon Ricka found herself enjoying the exhilarating rush that it brought, even if she was sure she was going to have a heart attack. The wind whipped across her face and through her hair, the cold stinging her skin. She could feel her heart beat within her chest.

It was the most amazing experience that she'd ever had.

When they returned to the roof she punched him in the face for endangering their lives, but as she walked back inside, followed by his laughter, she couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Garp let out a deep breath, watching the morning fog slowly clear as they approached Marineford. The sea was a murky green, the sky mostly clear. Fishing boats dotted the coastline, a few of which he waved to on their way in.

A loud explosion alerted Garp of his grandson's arrival long before he actually showed, running from a couple of angry cooks. As soon as the boy had lost those on his tail, he went to his grandfather.

There were dark circles under Garp's eyes, showing that he hadn't had much sleep on the voyage. Luffy was incredibly restless during the whole thing, excitement coursing through his little body from the prospect of a grand and important mission that had been described to him from others. And because he was restless, he made everyone else tired and cranky.

They had found nothing, just as expected.

"I can't wait to get back and tell Ricka and Toma about what we saw," Luffy said, excitement still evident in his tone. He leaned over the railing, silently willing Marineford to come into view, to emerge from the fog and announce the end of their seemingly endless mission.

Slowly but surely the fog completely cleared and they could see headquarters in all its glory. The massive stone structure was still awe inspiring. Garp found himself smiling as they made their way into the harbor. There were people waiting for them on the shore.

They docked rather quickly, and Garp and Luffy were the first ones off the boat. As much as he loved the sea Garp couldn't help but feel grateful that he was back on dry land. He slowly breathed in the salty air and watched the sun hit the sparking white stone.

"Vice-Admiral Garp!" Garp turned his head to look at who was calling out to him. It was his colleague, Vice-Admiral Stainless. "Welcome back," they clasped arms and laughed good-naturedly in a display of camaraderie.

"I hope you guys didn't do anything too rash in my absence. I read about Crocodile."

Stainless looked perturbed suddenly, the exact opposite of what Garp had been expecting. "Actually …"

"You didn't do anything stupid, right?" the frown made its way into Garp's voice. The nagging feeling in the back of his mind was suddenly brought to the forefront as he examined his fellow Vice-Admiral, who was now looking a little sheepish.

"Vegapunk found a 'solution' to our problem with the war."

_ … Oh shit … that can't be good._

"What's going on?" Garp demanded.

"Vegapunk pulled someone from an alternate reality into ours. We didn't think it was possible, but it's true. He made a deal with Sengoku, but we wanted to be sure it was legitimate, so we sent him off to capture Crocodile …"

"Are you saying he defeated the Shichibukai?" Garp trusted Stainless, and if he said someone had come from another world he would believe it, no matter how unbelievable the claim was.

"Yeah, I was there," the man shook his head, "It was scary, honestly. Vegapunk told us that he's the strongest man in his world, stronger than Whitebeard. But it's one thing to hear about it and another to feel it. The kid knocked all of us out with Haki and then beat Crocodile within an inch of his life without even getting out of breath."

That was impressive.

"Boy?" Garp asked.

"Yeah, you see, that's the thing. You're not going to believe who it is."

"Tell me."

"It's your grandson."

* * *

Luffy pushed through the crowd, searching for his two best friends. A wide smile spread across his face when he caught sight of Toma, who was also searching the crowd for his longtime friend.

"Toma!" Luffy called, running towards him. The smaller boy looked over at the approaching Marine, but he didn't jump for joy or even smile. Instead he looked worried, even sick.

"Luffy, how was your trip?" Toma asked, twitching nervously.

"It was great! I even saw some whales!"

"Fantastic. Listen, Luffy, I have to tell you something. This is really important."

The smile slid off of Luffy's face at Toma's tone of voice. He nodded, serious for once. He listened as Toma quickly explained the project, how Vegapunk pulled the strongest man through from another world and how that same man defeated Crocodile.

"Sugoi …" Luffy whispered under his breath, already indescribably excited. His whole body was trembling in anticipation now, longing to actually meet this incredible individual. A grin once again spread across his face, but this only seemed to make Toma worried. "Where is he?"

"Luffy that's the thing–"

"Oi!" a voice called out, and the two of them turned to see Ricka coming towards them.

Luffy's heart stopped beating for a moment when he caught a glimpse of who was trailing after her. His breath caught in his throat, eyes widening in horror and the excited trembling turning into fearful trembling. He suddenly wanted to run, to hide, and to curl into a little ball and cry. All sounds faded as he watched himself walk towards them.

It was him.

** It was him.**

"Toma," Luffy gasped out in a hoarse voice.

"What's wrong?"

"That's _him_ Toma, from that dream a couple months ago," he swallowed thickly. Toma's eyes widened when he realized what his friend was telling him.

_He'll kill us all._


	7. Theirs

**A/N: **Thanks for all your support, guys. I have this warm fuzzy feeling throughout my body, and it makes me want to hug a kitten and slay a monster. So, as a (belated) Christmas gift, I present you with the next chapter.

**Alia Inverse:** Oops, I don't think I purposely wrote the Marine Luffy that way ... well, I guess maybe a little ... You'll see where I'm going with that in due time. You have to remember, the main changing event that really separated these two worlds is Garp's decision to bring him to Marineford, but Luffy still spent a few years in his hometown (although he left before meeting Shanks). Also, thanks for your comment on Ricka. When I initially came up with her I didn't actually have huge plans for her or Toma, but now that the story is taking shape (honestly I rarely jump into a fanfiction project with a detailed plan) I can really expand on those two characters.

**Esaki Nalex:** The 'he'll kill us all' bit wasn't a premonition of any kind. Marine Luffy just doesn't have much faith in his counterpart.

**youshouldn'tneedtoknow:** It may sound unbelievable, but I guess I haven't mentioned this yet (although I did hint at it). The Straw Hat Pirates actually_ know_ Vegapunk in their world. After events (of vague kind) he somehow became an ally and sort of maybe quit being a Marine (he's now a sort of freelance scientist, which he can afford because he's _filthy rich_ from all his inventions).

**mks 12 98:** While Luffy is our main protagonist and generally viewed in our eyes as 'the hero', you have to remember that he's a pirate. He's selfish that way. One example is when they first re-unite with Hachi, their first response is to totally desert him, even if Luffy's stomach and Keimi's pleading changed Nami's, and subsequently Luffy's, mind. Also, a good percentage of the time he agrees to save people because he gets something in return. So I doubt he'd have much moral issues with crushing the dreams of pirates and marines that get in their way.

**Peter Kim:** Say what? I'm confused. However, from the gist of that ... I honestly haven't read any of Punk Hazard yet. I've been following the Anime. I do have a few spoilers from it (I can't resist sometimes) so that gave me some help with Vegapunk ... but other than that Punk Hazard isn't going to play even a minor role in this story. It's not going to pop up.

Finally,** to those who have asked me about Sabo**: I wasn't really thinking about him when I first thought up my first (also vague) plot design. But, someone mentioned Sabo being a pirate. Now there's a thought! I_ really_ like it, honestly. And it actually fits right into the storyline too. Thank you for that. Also, I personally believe that Sabo is still alive in the Cannon universe, just because we didn't actually see him die (heavily implied though). I have that gut feeling that he's going to pop up sometime. (I think he's a revolutionary now, a conclusion that many people have also come to.)

Now I've talked enough. I should probably sleep too, because it's really late over here. ^_^'

_- DW_

* * *

**Chapter Six**  
_Theirs  
_

Luffy watched his other self focus in on him, black eyes saturated in something between curiosity and disgust. They unconsciously merged into one, and the strongest man curled his lip slightly. The Marine swallowed, trying to will his body to stop shaking.

He was reminded of the coppery tang of blood and nearly retched. His stomach twisted and turned into knots, bile threatening to rise. Tension filled their bodies and the gap between them. Luffy watched as the muscles in his counterpart's body tensed, like a wild cat ready to pounce.

He was afraid.

_That was no dream_, he thought in horror, the nightmare from months prior resurfacing in his mind. He remembered all of it at once, and discovered that no, it wasn't a dream, and instead had been an event so momentous that ripples of discord had crossed over into their world. It was the memory of the man currently standing before him.

He could vaguely hear Ricka and Toma trying to speak, but nothing got through to him. All noises were currently mute and he was as good as deaf. His attention was solely on himself.

The man's eyes gleamed dangerously. He was wearing a pair of shorts, sandals and a shirt borrowed from someone. A straw hat was hanging off his neck, which surprisingly didn't look out of place – like it was meant to be there. They were both the same height, but for some reason Luffy felt like he was looking up at the intimidating figure. That gaze pinned him to the spot, dissecting him and looking into his very soul.

An especially intense shiver passed down his spine, which his friends and his other self did not fail to notice. Someone touched his elbow, "Luffy, are you okay?" It was Ricka, who while trying to hide it was actually incredibly worried, and not just for her friend. The tension between the two had thickened once again, to the point that it was suffocating and those in the immediate area were starting to feel uncomfortable.

It was like the other Luffy could hear his thoughts. He shuddered again and took a step back. He needed to get out of there _now_.

The pirate's eyes sharpened and focused intently on his other self, as though to say _'running away?'_ Luffy scowled, forcing his body to still. If he ran then he would regret it for the rest of his life. He stood his ground, and even dared to push back against that unstoppable force.

_… He's a monster._

Something seemed to snap, and they were suddenly at each other's throats. They sent punches and kicks and both were on the ground growling and hissing and yelling. Luffy felt all the air in his lungs desert him as a powerful punch connected with his stomach. He only gritted his teeth and fought back, going for the other's face.

The sandals of the other scraped across his shins, while Luffy was trying to get as many hits in as possible. Red filled their vision as they attacked with wild abandon, simply brawling and ignoring any form of past training. Luffy bit down on something hard enough to break the skin. A callused hand found its way around his throat, but the adrenaline let him forget about needing air.

Those mocking and challenging eyes made him sick to his stomach. His heart was in his throat, beating quickly and heavily. He managed to kick the man in the chest, before attempting to get him in a chokehold. The grip on his neck broke, and Luffy was surprised when air filled his chest. Black spots dotted the edges of his vision, but the only thing he could see was the monster, snarling savagely.

_Die._

And then someone was pulling him away from his double, tugging strongly and dragging him to his feet. Someone did the same with the other, who was still hissing and spitting and longing to attack. Luffy was in a similar state.

Intense hatred welled up inside him, willing him to attack the monster that was currently shoving off Toma. Luffy heaved, his breathing labored, simply itching to fight again. The double wiped the corner of his mouth, where a trickle of blood was escaping past his lips. The Marine Luffy was also skilled in Haki, which was probably the reason he was still alive after years of living at headquarters.

Ricka let go of him slowly, as to ensure that he wouldn't jump after the other one. A smirk slowly spread across the stranger's face, before he let out a chuckle. He then turned around and left, hands in his pockets and completely ignoring Toma, who tried to get him to stop. Luffy watched his back until he disappeared into the crowd.

Luffy began to regain his hearing, and took notice of Ricka, who was trying to catch his attention. "Sorry," he said, gaze shifting to her worried face.

"Are you hurt at all?" she asked, glancing at his neck. There would definitely be some intense bruising later.

"I'm fine. But I got to ask, why the hell is _he_ here?!" he growled, not angry at her but at the crazy scientist that was Toma's, and currently Ricka's, superior.

Toma answered for her, a frown on his face, "_He's_ the one we brought through."

Luffy scowled even more, wishing that he could find and attack his other self again. "He can't be trusted," he hissed.

Surprisingly, Ricka looked sad at that, and at his questioning glance fidgeted uncomfortably. "He's … not so bad once you get to know him. Please, Luffy, just give him a chance."

Forcing himself to calm down and not lash out at his best friend, he slowly let out a breath through his nose and replied, "That guy … he's a murderer."

With that Luffy passed by his friends, who watched him leave in the opposite direction than his counterpart, equally worried for both of them and the future itself.

* * *

Garp was mad.

No, that simple word is not enough to completely encompass the severity of Garp's rage. Words like livid and enraged may fit better, but they too are inadequate to portray the fury leaking from every pore in the elderly Marine's body.

His face had gone from bright red to purple, and his throat was sore from all the yelling he was doing. His body was tense and under strain, and his poor heart was working overtime just to keep him on his feet. He was doing more talking than breathing, but he showed no signs of pausing any time soon. Everyone but the subject of his anger had flinched and subtly fled the room, not wanting to be near the exploding volcano that was Vice-Admiral Garp.

Garp was really, _really_ mad.

Sengoku, who had expected as much from him, sat patiently and waited for the roaring fire to die down until all that remained was the embers. Only rank and a certain respect kept Garp from physically lashing out at his superior, but that didn't include his sharp tongue.

Slowly but surely Garp stopped verbally abusing Sengoku and sated himself by muttering colorful curses under his breath while pacing back and forth across the length of his office. Still, Sengoku waited for the inevitable question.

"Why?" Garp finally said, looking up at his friend. His eyebrows were draw together, and the dark circles under those tired eyes made the Vice Admiral look his actual age for once.

Sengoku gave a heavy sigh – the kind that only people under intense stress could make. He too looked tired and old, but strong just the same. "Whether we like it or not, we need his help, Garp."

"Of all people in how many worlds, why did you bring _Luffy?_" Garp's shoulders slumped, and he slowly took a seat. The elderly man massaged his temples, as though fighting off the mother of all headaches.

"I honestly don't know myself. Vegapunk … or the _Vegapunks_ have some sort of hidden agenda. But … my gut is telling me that having that boy here will ultimately cause more good than harm."

Garp took the information silently, scowling even more. "What are you going to do now?"

Sengoku gave a wry smile, surprising Garp, "I'm going to send him after Blackbeard."

"Blackbeard?" Garp's eyes widened, and a natural instinct to protect his grandson filled him. He knew that this other Luffy had to be far more powerful than any of them would be able to handle (considering his title of 'the strongest man in the world'), but that didn't stop him from worrying about the boy's safety. He was going to go up against one of the Yonkou, and on top of that one with an insanely strong Devil Fruit.

"Apparently that kid has some experience in dealing with that bastard. At the moment he's our best shot."

"Let me go with him then," Garp said, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair.

Sengoku studied the man, eyes searching his face for his motives. He then gave a good-natured chuckle and nodded his head, "If you insist. You should take our Luffy too."

Both of the old men gave a sigh and wondered where their world was going.

* * *

_Murderer …_

Ricka frowned, her own heart hammering in her chest. Her skin had gone clammy, and any sign of hunger that she may have had had completely disappeared. Toma opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it.

_'I'm a pirate.'_

Wouldn't that make sense then?

Ricka didn't want to think that her friend, from any world, had it in them to do that. So, if it was true, then what had driven this other Luffy to commit such a horrific act?

"You should go after him," Toma said, nudging her in the direction that their Luffy had gone. Her heart dropped again. She knew that it was a bad idea to bring them together, but she hadn't expected such an outcome. For a moment the intensity between those two had been matched, and Ricka had found herself scared.

You shouldn't have to be afraid of your best friend.

Toma looked helpless as he stared at her. Both of them were starting to feel the strain of being right in the middle of the crazy situation.

"Yeah …" Ricka said meekly before starting after her friend.

Toma sadly watched her go.

* * *

Luffy felt a familiar shiver pass up and down his spine.

After becoming the Pirate King and the undisputed strongest man in the world, he still felt a little bit of childlike fear concerning his grandfather. This was true even now.

His sensing abilities had evolved to the point that he could subconsciously tell when people were near and what their intent was, so when the familiar aura of that terrifying man approached, the Pirate King broke out into a cold sweat.

It happened fast though, and as he was previously deep in thought, he did not get the chance to doge. He clutched his throbbing head after the punch was received, "Ow! What the hell!?" he growled, looking back at his other self's grandfather (or was this man his grandfather too? He wasn't so sure, it was all very confusing).

"You stubborn brat!" Garp shouted, evidently annoyed at the familiar reaction.

Luffy shot him an irritated glare as he rubbed his head. He was mildly surprised to see his grandfather, but even more surprised to see that he was still a Marine. He then recalled the reason that his own grandfather had retired, and stopped that train of thought before it could carry him further. So … he guessed he wasn't surprised.

Garp still smelled of salt water, so Luffy deducted that he had been on some sort of mission with this world's Luffy. His teeth still hurt a little at that thought; that Marine version of him could throw a good punch (and he had been using Haki too).

He certainly wasn't too happy at that Luffy's immediate reaction, but there was a look in his eye … like he knew something he wasn't supposed to know. This other Luffy pissed him off.

But he was curious at the same time.

"You're coming with me to hunt Blackbeard," Garp said, bringing the Pirate King out of his little internal monologue. Luffy looked up at Garp, frowning slightly. He wasn't surprised about the news, but a thought tugged at the corner of his consciousness.

_Wasn't Ji-chan Roger's rival or something?_

He didn't want to know what would happen if Garp discovered that Luffy had also taken the title of 'Pirate King', especially since this world's Luffy was _somehow _a Marine. _How did that happen anyway?_

He wanted to _know_, dammit!

Luffy gave a nod before straightening to his full height again. He was still small in stature compared to the elderly Marine, but that wasn't as concerning as before. Slowly he smiled as memories of the aftermath of Enies Lobby interrupted his thoughts. That was when he first found out that Dragon was his father …

Garp seemed to focus on something, which once again disrupted Luffy's thoughts. The pirate's eyes widened when the old man looked at the Straw Hat dangling from its string. A scowl spread across the Vice-Admiral's face, and once again Luffy was flushed with a nostalgic fear. His grandfather (in any world) was _terrifying_.

"Where'd you get that hat?"

"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about …" he gave a small whistle and averted his eyes, once again falling prey to his terrible lying abilities. He visibly winced when Garp growled low in his throat.

Like he somewhat expected, Garp grabbed him by his collar and shook him for all he was worth. "Don't lie to me you ungrateful brat!" he shouted. Luffy's ears rung and he began to feel dizzy, so he decided that it was just easier to tell him now, as Garp would somehow shake it out of him later (no pun intended).

"S-Shanks gave it to me!"

Garp then dropped the boy, suddenly horrified. He was silent for all of five seconds before, "You mean Akagami Shanks?"

Luffy gave a small nod and rubbed his backside, where he had fallen on the ground, "He saved my life when I was seven." Wow, it sure brought back memories. That was what, seventeen years ago?

Garp's gaze darkened considerably, "What happened after that?"

"You brought me to Dadan."

What Luffy _didn't_ say made much more of an impact than what he _did_ say. Either way he knew he was in for a world of hurt if he stuck around, so he did the next best thing and booked it before Garp could properly process his own thoughts.

Luffy was an idiot, but time and trial had given him small bits of wisdom.

* * *

When Ricka found Luffy (their Luffy), she did the first thing that came naturally.

She punched him in the face.

The expression he was making pissed her off to new levels. He looked so uncharacteristically _pathetic_ that it made her sick to her stomach. This new funk he was in was concerning, so she solved the problem the only way she knew how (of course this method had only been crafted to deal with Luffy specifically, but that's beside the point).

"What the hell Ricka?!" Luffy shouted from his spot on the floor, rubbing his now bruised cheek. He would probably get a black eye too.

"You're an idiot," she sighed and shook her head. "Both of you," she added as an afterthought. Luffy snarled at the mention of his double, but when Ricka gave him a sharp look he wisely backed off.

The young man gave a sigh of his own, getting to his feet and dusting off his pants. "Are you mad at me?"

"Yes," she said. Ricka stepped closer to him, and he flinched, but she only took a look at the bruises on his neck. They were turning a nasty shade of black and blue, with a sickly tinge of green and yellow mixed in. They dipped below the collar of his shirt and wrapped around his entire neck, covering his collar bones and one of his shoulders. "He did quite a number on you," she said quietly, prodding lightly at them. Luffy winced.

"Yeah … well …" he looked away from her, feeling ashamed.

Ricka's eyes widened suddenly, and she prodded lower, at his ribcage. Luffy gritted his teeth at the sudden sharp pain there. "I think you may have broken a rib … or three," she said in concern.

"I hope he has too," Luffy blurted without thinking about it. He cried out when Ricka pressed down on the wound in her annoyance. "Stop doing that!"

"You do realize that while you come from different worlds, he's still _you_."

Luffy snorted, "He's not me."

Ricka gave a small smile and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, "I think you'd be surprised how similar you two are … although I will admit that you're also very different."

"How do you know that?"

"I've actually had the chance to talk with him, which you _didn't _bother to do," Ricka accused, poking one of her fingers into his chest, where he wasn't injured.

"I don't want to though, I saw enough already," Luffy frowned seriously.

"What do you mean?" she blinked in surprise.

There was a flash of something in his eyes, something akin to fear and horror, but also an acute understanding of something massive. It made Ricka feel uneasy. "I had a dream a couple of months ago … but I think it was actually his memory. I've never seen so much blood in my life."

"Blood?"

Luffy nodded, "It was like I was actually living it, too. Even now when I recall it I suddenly feel like I want to kill someone."

Ricka was shocked, but it somehow made sense. Their worlds were connected in more ways than one. "The other Luffy is kind of scary, too," she admitted. Luffy's head whipped around to stare at her, his eyes the size of plates. "He threw Garth right through a brick wall with _one hand_, and he wasn't paying much attention either."

Luffy raised his eyebrows, "Seriously?"

"Yeah, well, nobody really believed the story at first, seeing as the whole project had been kept secret."

The Marine then chuckled, "That bastard probably got what was coming to him."

Ricka gave a small, exasperated laugh, "Probably."

"What else did he do?"

Luffy's eyes were now wide with a childlike curiosity, one that Ricka was very familiar with. She gave a small smile and slowly told her best friend of his counterpart's ability to eat, his Devil Fruit powers, and how that both of them couldn't sing to save their lives, but this other guy was much more vocal (his favorite being 'Bink's Sake', which he had sung for a half-hour strait during the party after his return from Alabasta, before he was dragged off by Admiral Aokiji).

Ricka was suddenly very, very grateful for her friend's return. While the other Luffy had been kind and quite entertaining at times, she knew this one better. Overcome with fond feelings she embraced the slightly taller man in a hug, one that surprised him.

"I'm glad you're back," she said with a smile.

Luffy smiled too, but it was strained because she was squeezing his ribs, which should probably be treated quickly, "Yeah, me too."

…

"Ricka?"

"Hm?"

"You're hurting me."

"Sorry!" she squeaked, jumping away from her friend. They stared at each other before bursting into laughter, which was broken up again when Luffy heaved, clutching his side.

She had missed him terribly, whether she knew it or not, because he was _theirs_.


	8. Origins

**Chapter Seven  
**_Origins_

"You have a black eye."

"I know."

…

"It was Ricka, right?"

"Yep."

Luffy couldn't help but crack a smile. That girl reminded him of Nami somewhat, but in a different way. He was actually sort of glad she wasn't a carbon copy of his Navigator (he _refused_ to think about what could have happened to his crew in this world because he wasn't there), or else he would probably be sporting a black eye too. Well, maybe not one that _showed up_, but one all the same. It was really hard to bruise when you were made of rubber.

He closed his eyes and momentarily let himself imagine their voices and presences instead of the large amount of Marines scurrying around, and that he wasn't on a warship and instead on Thousand Sunny. But he couldn't ignore his counterpart, who was now staring at him strangely. Both of them were seated on the frontal cannon that served as a temporary replacement for his special seat on Sunny's figurehead.

After their initial fight, both of them had backed down from trying to kill each other and instead watched each other closely. _Very_ closely, it seemed – Luffy knew that the Marine watched him when he was trying to sleep (which should have been creepy, but considering the strange circumstance it really wasn't).

"You know something about me," Luffy said to the Marine version of himself, feeling a little smug when the other's eyes widened. He huffed and looked away from the pirate.

"We're almost the same person."

Luffy gave a 'Shishishi' of laughter, not minding the response. However, even though he was laughing he was actually being very serious, something that the other Luffy knew too, and knew it well. It wasn't long before Monkey (as Luffy had dubbed the Marine in his head so he wouldn't confuse himself) began to describe the transferred memories. If anything Luffy's smile grew wider as he thought of the aftermath, but it was also sadder when he thought of the actual fight and events leading up to it.

"You killed him," Monkey glared at his counterpart. The Marine had grown up to be quite similar to Luffy morally, with some changes here and there because of his Marine influence.

The Pirate Luffy was far more selfish.

"He fell," was Luffy's only answer.

"You pushed him."

He didn't answer at all then. He couldn't, _wouldn't_ answer. He was almost in denial, but in his heart he knew he_ did_ push his half alive opponent into that gaping chasm, and dammit did it feel _good_, which was why he wouldn't admit it out loud.

He had his revenge; he didn't regret it.

He was so very selfish.

Luffy leaned back, resting his elbows against the warm metal of the huge cannons. It almost burned to touch, but the cool sea breeze was a nice contrast, so he didn't mind. His hat shaded his eyes against the bright sunlight and he could practically feel the sea in his skin. Everything was peaceful, which was rare on the Grand Line, but he didn't complain.

"Why did you become the strongest in your world?"

Luffy smirked now and answered cheekily, "Because I could," before sticking his tongue out.

The Marine punched him in the arm. "That's not what I meant," Monkey whined.

Luffy shook his head, "No, that's why I did it: because I could, because I want to protect my Nakama, and because I wanted to be free."

"Are you then?"

"Aa, I am. What about you?"

The Marine Luffy grimaced. "I … I just want to make Ji-chan proud." Luffy made a face before fully reclining onto his back, placing his hat over his nose and crossing his arms comfortably behind his head. "What was that for?"

"Ji-chan is scary." Monkey laughed, silently acknowledging that. "When I was little he would come every few weeks and tell us that we were going to be Marines. He kept throwing me into all these dangerous places – nearly killed me!"

"Us?" Monkey inquired between snorts of laughter. This seemed to be the first time they engaged in a civil conversation without spitting insults.

"Me and my brothers."

Monkey was instantly jealous. He hadn't grown up with siblings, only the Marines, who until he was sixteen were all older or much older than him. But he also guessed that he had been treated like a younger brother for the most part. That is, until he got stronger than them. "What are they like?"

"They both died years ago." The Marine couldn't see his double's face, but he could hear the sadness in his voice. Now he felt guilty.

"Sorry," he mumbled before looking out at the horizon again.

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes, in which neither moved nor spoke. Monkey watched the seagulls following the ship. The weather had also seemed to stabilize, which meant that they were probably approaching an island.

"I wanted to make Shanks proud too."

Monkey startled before looking down at the pirate, "Shanks?" Thankfully neither of them was the sharpest of wits, and therefor Monkey did not make the connection between the name 'Shanks' and the name 'Akagami Shanks'.

"He came and visited my hometown lots. He was the coolest. I always asked him to take me with him, but he never did."

"How old were you then?"

"Seven." Monkey had been living at Marineford for a year and a half by that time. "He lost his arm to save my life, and then he left for good, but not before I promised him that I would be the strongest."

"He sounds like someone I'd like to meet," The Marine smiled, but Luffy didn't say anything.

"Why'd you want to make Ji-chan proud?" Luffy asked. He'd never really been that close to his grandfather, but after he became Pirate King the two of them had made contact again, years after Ace's death. That was the first time he'd seen his grandfather cry.

"Well … 'cause he's family," his only family. While Luffy had never grown really close to his grandfather because of an underlying fear and the influence of his older brothers, the Marine version of him started to see the old man as a sort or role model, an unbeatable superhero that wouldn't die no matter what. He wanted to be like his grandfather: both kind and merciful, but at the same time able to beat the strongest opponents. The pirate sadly knew the truth about Garp, but he didn't dare mention it.

"Do you want to be strong?"

Monkey was taken aback by that question, "Well duh."

Luffy wasn't convinced. No, it wasn't that he wanted to be strong, or at least not for the reasons that Luffy wanted to be strong. It was exactly what his first answer had been. He just wanted to make Ji-chan proud. He just wanted to be loved and accepted. Luffy was sure that his counterpart had no real ambition to go to the top of the ladder. He suspected that helping civilians was also his thing. "Are you happy?"

"Yeah."

That was good enough for him.

"You want to get some food?" Luffy asked, getting to his feet and brushing his shorts off. He held out his hand, which the Marine took, and hauled him to his feet.

Monkey nodded, grinning innocently. This guy wasn't so bad after all. They were, in essence, the same person after all.

The two of them raided the kitchens, and when they both ran for their lives as angry cooks chased them – Luffy shouting something about them being slower than someone called Sanji – they both came to a small understanding of one another. Sure, they were both going to fight and bicker because of their differences, but that was okay.

Monkey knew that Ricka was right.

Ricka was always right.

* * *

"And don't go running off, alright?"

Both of them nodded simultaneously, the uncanny mimicry freaking Garp out. The two Luffys, while different in their own way, were still scarily similar, to the point that Garp was concerned that he wouldn't be able to tell the difference if they really put in an effort to act _exactly_ the same.

There were subtle differences, of course, which Garp was glad for. The most obvious one was the Straw Hat that the alternate Luffy stubbornly clung to, and after some awkward and amusing instances where everyone was unsure what to call the other one, the boy suggested that they just call him 'Mugiwara', after the hat itself.

That hat worried Garp. He knew whom that hat used to belong to.

There were also some other physical distinctions. Mugiwara's hair was slightly longer, he was both more muscled and lean, and then there were the obvious scars. There was one right under his left eye, which Garp concluded that he didn't want to know the cause of, a nasty burn scar on his chest and a deep, jagged one on his back that everyone had seen on one of the hot days when nobody had bothered putting on a shirt.

And the most puzzling thing was the tattoo on his right arm, just below his shoulder and wrapping around the bicep. They were characters that Garp couldn't identify, ancient in origin and obviously meaning something, but Garp couldn't fathom what was so important that the boy had it permanently added to his skin.

(He was also having a hard time trying to remember not to call them 'boy' as they were physically adults, but it was really hard, considering their behavior the majority of the time, and Garp had practically _raised_ Luffy.)

Garp watched as both boys, _men_, shot each other a glance before rushing for the door, pushing and shoving each other aside like they were rivals and or brothers. Again, this freaked Garp out. They wouldn't stop fighting one moment, and the next moment they were practically linked telepathically. It was starting to drive the crew half mad.

The Vice-Admiral sighed. They were stopping to ask around for information, like they usually did now. It'd been two weeks since leaving headquarters, and what a strange fortnight it was. They'd only caught a whiff of the elusive Yonkou, but it was better than nothing he supposed. They were slowly but surely closing in, and when Teach discovered that they were after him there was no doubt he would look for them too. The meeting was inevitable at this point.

He hoped that the his grandson, his alternate self's grandson, the grandson that had grown up with mountain bandits and most likely _Portgas D. Ace_, the one he hadn't been there for, would indeed be able to deal with Blackbeard, or so help him he would forever regret it.

Garp didn't show it in obvious ways, but he did love his grandson very much.

* * *

Luffy was impressed. He was rather hopeful that this would work, and it seemed as though Mugiwara could pull it off. This was the first time his double had come with them to ask for Blackbeard's whereabouts, as the man had demanded to go because he was bored out of his mind.

The straw-hat wearing man had undergone a bit of a transformation. Luffy wasn't someone extremely famous, but he wasn't a no-body either. The whole 'they're identical' thing also didn't help, and everyone mutually agreed that coming up with a bullshit story about how Mugiwara was his long-lost twin brother or something wouldn't cut it. Anyone with half a brain could tell that it went past being identical twins.

So they had dressed Mugiwara up, careful to hide his face. It was an Autumn Island, which was good, because they made his counterpart wear a shirt with a hood that was probably a little too big for him. If it was a summer island he would probably overheat or something.

"It's itchy," Mugiwara whined as he scratched at his arms and sides. Luffy frowned in sympathy.

"You're wearing that if you want to come," Coleson, the elected supervisor for the two of them, said. He was a very serious man, who obviously was not keen on the idea of babysitting two overgrown children.

Mugiwara looked like a civilian now (he flat out refused to wear anything with the marine symbol on it). The coat hid his face and any obvious scars. Mugiwara also wasn't wearing shorts anymore (now a pair of jeans), seeing as Luffy was and they wanted to make as many differences as possible. But he still wore his sandals.

The effect was just like they wanted. He looked like another person.

Luffy slid in front of his double, looking hard at his double's face. It was shadowed and if he didn't look at anyone directly, they wouldn't know the difference. "Say something." Mugiwara gave him a dubious look before quickly commenting on how that the coat was still itchy. Luffy shook his head, "You have to say it differently. We have the same voice."

Realization dawned on the pirate's face before he began practicing. The other few marines in their group tried not to laugh, but failed miserably. Both Luffys glared at them, which immediately shut them up.

"Are we ready to go yet?" Coleson drawled, not impressed in the slightest.

They stuck out their tongues at him before unceremoniously running off.

Now it was little known (and never really put into consideration) that Luffy was technically a higher rank than those in their little party. He hardly ever used the title though, and sometimes even forgot that he possessed it. The Marine was happy to let the others take charge, because that wasn't what he wanted.

The group of them wandered the streets of the city, asking people on the streets if there had been any suspicious activity and or pirates. The citizens were friendly enough, but many of them had their minds elsewhere, and didn't know much.

But, of course, they always seemed to attract trouble.

The old man was nervous and he knew that Luffy could tell that he was nervous. The Marine frowned as he asked him the appropriate and default questions, frowning when he realized that the man was hiding something.

"What do you know?" Luffy asked finally, getting to the heart of the problem. Mugiwara looked at the old man sideways out of the corner of his eye. The man had been lurking on the sidelines the entire time, just watching and waiting.

"Please Mr." Luffy looked down into the big, watery doe eyes of a five year old girl. She was on the verge of tears, something that tugged at Luffy's heart. He kneeled down, placing a reassuring hand on the top of her head.

"What's wrong? You can tell me." He gave his best trustworthy smile and watched as hope kindled in her eyes.

"There are pirates on the other side of the island. They took Papa," she pleaded.

This caught his doubles attention. Luffy ruffled her hair and stood up. "Don't worry. I'll find him and bring him back, okay?"

The little girl nodded, smiling through her tears. The old man, presumably her grandfather, ushered her inside before turning back to the duo. He seemed a little put out. "Why'd you hide that?"

"We don't need the Marine's help," he sneered, as though it was second nature. "Sorry … I …"

Mugiwara chose that time to intervene, pushing forward and resting his elbows on the counter. "Were you a pirate Ossan? We won't tell, we promise." The old man looked shocked for a moment before nodding. Luffy frowned, wondering how someone who obviously cared for their family could be a pirate, of all things. Mugiwara shot him a significant glance, and Luffy let the matter go. At least the old man was retired.

"My son's an inventor. They heard about it and took him away. I've been trying to get help; I'm far too old to fight."

"Like he said, we'll help," Mugiwara said, motioning towards his double. The old man smiled and thanked him, taking his hand and shaking it.

The two of them walked away with directions to the other side of the island. "Come on, we have to head back to the others," Luffy said, dragging his other self behind him.

"Let's just go there right now," Mugiwara suggested.

"And what are we going to do if we beat them? They're pirates; they're going to be arrested. I'm not dragging all of them back by myself."

Luffy stopped talking when he realized that he was now speaking to himself. The Marine looked back over his shoulder to see Mugiwara standing in front of the entrance to an alleyway. "Oi, Mugiwara, don't just stop–"

He started running.

Luffy growled before running after the double. He was_ fast_ too. The Marine had a hard time catching up with him. Whatever the man had seen, obviously it was important. So it was either a lead or food. But he was passing all kinds of food stalls, so he doubted it was the latter. He dashed down the narrow streets, weaving through people and trying to keep the hooded man in sight at all times.

"Wait up!" he called, watching as the other rushed around a corner. He followed suit, but was surprised when he crashed right into his back. "What the hell?!" Luffy hissed from the ground, holding his nose, which had collided painfully with Mugiwara's shoulder. It was like the pirate couldn't even hear him.

Luffy frowned before getting to his feet. He looked past his double, before his eyes widened and his blood ran cold.

_"No way …"_

The universe really liked to mess with him.

There, on the ground, sleeping like a baby, sprawled awkwardly in the dust, was none other than Portgas D. Ace.

* * *

**A/N:** Haha, I bet everyone saw that coming. ^_^' Oh well. I've been planning that from the start.

Thank god my Finals are over.

Some people commented on the Punk Hazard thing. Like I said before, not including it. I don't even know who Vergo is yet. Still following Anime. So please don't spoil it even more for me. I've read enough spoilers as it is. ;-;

_- DW_


	9. Melancholy

**A/N: **I was _so_ inspired that I got this done in practically record time. It sorta ... punched me in the face. So here you go, I hope you enjoy it. I had to rewrite it because I wasn't happy with it at first (and that's why I didn't update two days ago when I got it done the first time).

Oh, and I'm a redhead now! :D

**House of Mirrors:** Aw man that is simply hilarious.

**Cyborgnetics:** Narcolepsy is incredibly funny in the right situations, but really dangerous in others. :/ Narcoleptic people probably shouldn't drive.

Oh, and no, it's _not_ the Cannon-verse Ace. Sorry. If you want to read an awesome story featuring two Aces (including the one that died), then go check out Son Goshen's Two Worlds story. Brilliant, that one is. Absolutely brilliant.

_- DW_

**P.S.** _Mini-spoiler._ This is how I'm going to incorporate Sabo, because I've been wondering how to transition from one event to the next, and he was just perfect. It was like it was _waiting_ for me to use him. Thanks for the idea guys.

* * *

**Chapter Eight**  
_Melancholy  
_

"Ace …" he breathed. His heart paused in his chest, blood drummed in his ears, he couldn't move, and he certainly didn't pay attention to the person that had just run into his back. He was more concerned about the man lying on the ground in front of him, in the exact same position as he had died in.

_It can't be …_

Oh, he knew it wasn't. He knew very well that it was this world's Ace, that it wasn't really his brother. His brother was dead. Luffy knew that all _too_ well. Marineford came back to him and practically punched him in the face. The war, that horrible war that he had invaded before he was ready, when he wasn't strong enough to amount to the sheer power of those he opposed. That was the day he failed.

Presumably at the mercy of one of his narcoleptic fits, the pirate snored loudly, a snot bubble sprouting from his nose, reminding Luffy of the situation. He needed to get Ace out of the street as soon as possible, because according to the insignia on the back of his jacket, this one was also a pirate.

"We have to turn him in."

Luffy looked over at his double, completely dumbfounded. For a moment he had forgotten that Monkey was even there, never mind that he was a Marine. He looked back at Ace, before looking once again at Monkey, who now was giving him a similar confused look.

"Are you alright?" Monkey asked hesitantly.

Luffy didn't reply as he turned back to his brother's double. This one was older, and dressed a little differently, but it was still unmistakably Ace. He rolled the man onto his back before hooking his hands under his armpits.

"What are you doing?!" Monkey demanded in a loud whisper, surprised at the very least. The Marine wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew that it was something strange and possibly not anything good. Whether his double had noticed or not, but Luffy was crying.

"Give me a hand here," Luffy said as he started to drag the pirate towards the back of the alley. Monkey opened his mouth to protest before deciding against it. The Marine grabbed Ace by the ankles, all the while shaking his head and hissing words about how they should just go find one of the others.

Luffy looked at the different buildings before signaling out a single, abandoned looking house just at the end of the row. There were no people in the tiny space between the houses, which both were thankful for as they carried their cargo into the designated building. They unceremoniously dropped him onto the kitchen floor, standing back to study the still sleeping pirate.

"I'll go get the others then. You stay here and guard him, I doubt he'll get past you," Monkey said before turning towards the door. To his surprise Luffy had grabbed his elbow in a painfully tight grip. "Cut it out, you'll cut off the blood flow. I'm not rubber like you."

"_No_," Luffy said. The way that he spoke sent chills dancing up and down Monkey's spine. The Marine could feel all the hairs on his body stand up; Goosebumps crawled across the surface of his arms and legs, and for a moment he was reminded that men had nipples too.

That was a voice that promised certain destruction.

Luffy was on the verge of breaking out into hysterics, and he really wasn't in the mood to deal with his other self. He grabbed the open door using his elastic abilities and slammed it shut before locking it securely. Only then did he let go of Monkey, but he fixed him a hard gaze that kept him in place. He let loose a small amount of Haki so that Monkey could feel exactly how serious he was. And indeed, the Marine took a few hesitant steps back as his will vainly tried to match the storm welling up inside his counterpart.

"Sit," Luffy commanded gruffly. Monkey obediently sat down in one of the chairs at the small table, mouth clamped shut and eyes wide. Luffy's gaze then swept over to Ace, and something flashed in his eyes – something dangerous.

Monkey swallowed. He wasn't sure what was going to happen next.

Luffy stood in the shadows, body trembling the entire while. His breathing was uneven and eyes still watery. He drank in Ace's features with manic urgency. He shivered, wondering how Ace's life was like without him in it. A wave of sour guilt washed over him when he remembered that _he_ was the cause of his Ace's death.

What was also was his fault?

He was snapped out of his panic-stricken spiral of inner turmoil when Ace gave a loud groan and opened his eyes. "The hell …? Where am I?" he slurred groggily. A nameless emotion crashed into him, breaking past all his barriers. All the pent up anger, self-loathing and resentment that had been hiding somewhere deep and dark inside the recesses of his heart burst forward in one explosive outpouring of malignant energy.

Ace was good at what he did. He was fairly accustomed to being attacked as soon as he woke up, so he was just able to meet the attack before it met him. _Fuck_ did it hurt.

_He knows Haki,_ Ace realized all too late. Before he could even shake off the weariness of slumber he was pinned to the floor in a position that he couldn't _bleeding_ _move_ in. He swore loudly, shouting every colorful curse under the rainbow, trying to get this maniac off of him. There was a cloud of dark energy surrounding his assailant, which Ace measured to being stronger than Whitebeard's when the old man was in a bad mood, hungry, and recently hit by a barrage of bad luck. This person, whoever he was, was _terribly strong_, strong enough that Ace didn't feel ashamed of being a little afraid.

And then, to everyone's surprise, and maybe horror, Luffy started crying again.

Luffy still wouldn't let Ace go as he hung his head. The tears sizzled off of Ace's exposed skin. He shook with sobs, muttering things like 'you bastard' and 'my fault' under his breath. Ace stopped; his brow crinkling as he wondered what was happening. It definitely wasn't a dream, that's for sure. There was a person, a small person, who was stronger than Whitebeard, sitting on him, while crying. _Is it just me or is something really wrong here?_

"What the hell is going on? Who is this psychopath?" Ace whispered to the other man in the room, who looked just as surprised and puzzled as he did. The Marine shrugged his shoulders in confusion. Ace looked up at the hooded figure, vainly trying to make out more than just vague facial features. No such luck.

So they both waited patiently for the sobbing man to calm down, and when he did the grip on Ace loosened considerably. The pirate shoved him off before sitting up and giving him a good look at. The hood had fallen down, and Luffy looked a lot younger then he really was in that moment, sitting on his knees and wiping away thick, hot tears with his sleeves. That's when Ace realized that he looked just like the other person sitting at the table.

"The fuck?"

His gaze switched from one to the other, taking note of one's casual clothing and the straw hat and the other's loose Marine uniform. Were they here to arrest him? If so he was probably screwed because the kid bawling in front of him could very well kick his ass.

Luffy started blubbering uncontrollably, "'T's so great to see you – even if it's not really you – but you look just like him – I miss you so much – you used to be so much politer – why are you here – dammit you bastard – why the hell did you have to do that –" and so on and so forth. Sometime during the stuttered speech the kid had grabbed at his chest, fisting the black fabric tightly in his hand while the other continued to remove the salty tears and snot from his face. Ace gave him a raised eyebrow, wholly unsure how to deal with what was going on.

After a minute of awkward rambling Ace finally shouted, "Will you shut up?!" Luffy immediately stopped, stared up at his older brother, eyes wide and still watery, biting his lip to stop him from breaking down again. His fist clenched just a little tighter.

"Who the hell are you and who the hell is this?" Ace growled at Monkey, who up until then had been staring at his counterpart like he was some sort of alien. The Marine took a moment before he answered.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy."

Ace looked shocked for a moment, "Garp's grandson? So who's this then?"

Monkey grimaced, "He's me from an alternate dimension. It's a long story."

_"Nani?! Alternate dimension?!"_ Ace's jaw hit the ground before he stared in awe at the still crying man on the floor beside him. After a few moments of gob-smacked surprise he reined himself in and shot a distrusting glare at the Marine. "So why are you here then?"

It was Luffy who answered. The man chuckled with a wet hiccup, drying the last of the tears. "They want me to fight Blackbeard. We didn't expect to see you."

"And _why_ are you crying?"

Luffy gave a sad, nostalgic smile that seemed out of place on such a usually cheerful person, "It's been _years_ since I saw you last … since … well since you _died_."

Anything up to that point was pebbles compared to the boulder that crashed down on Ace then. He wouldn't, couldn't doubt that it was the truth. The Whitebeard pirates were aware that the Marines had been investigating possibilities of alternate dimensions and how to create a bridge between them. Apparently it had worked. But now …

_So let me get this straight … in another world, I _somehow_ know Luffy, probably pretty well, and _somehow_, in this other world, I'm _dead?!

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" he said out loud.

However, Luffy only started to cry again, and Ace decided that yelling wasn't going to be the best way to get information out of the pair (physical means was out of the question at this point). With a heavy sigh he got to his feet and rummaged around the small kitchen before making some nearly instant tea with some water and his fire-related abilities. Monkey helped his double to his feet and set him down at the table next to him. Ace sat opposite to them, right next to the door if he needed a quick escape route.

Both of them watched as Luffy drank his tea, using it to calm his frayed nerves and settle the jitters that had been shooting through his body. But it was really, _really _hard to relax when the man he considered his brother, the one that had died right in front of him, to _protect_ him, was currently staring at him like he was a complete fruit cake.

"Are you really going to be alright?" Monkey asked him when he finished, to which he nodded stiffly at.

"Great. Now explain to me how you know me and why I'm dead in another world?" Luffy jolted – he was still not ready to revisit those memories. He shook his head, gripping the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white. Ace let that one pass, scowling.

"How do you know a pirate in the first place?" Monkey asked with obvious suspicion. Luffy, being in the … ah, _delicate_ state that he was in, was very prone to letting things slip.

"I _am_ a pirate," Luffy said as he royally screwed up the entire situation.

The two witnesses in the room blinked once, in unison, before letting out a loud, synchronized, _**"What?!"  
**_

* * *

In the street people stopped in their tracks, looking over shoulders and between houses momentarily. Coleson, along with Andrews, his associate, stopped dead in their tracks before sharing a glance.

"Was that?"

"Nah couldn't have been."

They both shrugged and continued on their way.

* * *

"Oops, I wasn't supposed to say that …" Luffy grimaced before chuckling nervously at the incredulous stares he was getting from the other two.

"Garp dropped you off at Dadan's," Ace deadpanned.

Luffy nodded. Their reactions to his major revelation managed to ground him in reality, so he found he was ready to talk now. "You didn't like me very much for a while. I thought you and Sabo were going to kill me."

Ace laughed, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms behind his head. "What happened then?"

Luffy quickly explained his discovery of their pirate savings and how they eventually became brothers. Ace chortled, eyes sparkling and quite amused at the turnout in the other world. He hadn't really considered getting to know Garp's legitimate grandson, even if they were technically family by adoption. In that other world though, it sounded like he _had_, and that he enjoyed it quite a bit. Ace knew himself well. He was probably a better person over there.

Luffy described the many adventures they had when they were young, from hunting wild animals to their daily sparring matches (that Luffy always lost) to annoying Dadan to death. The two pirates were smiling with evident fondness, Luffy in memory while Ace in imagination.

"So how did I die?" Ace inquired, now curious.

Luffy's grin faded, and his eyes gave off a serious edge. "Akainu punched a hole through your chest."

"A _hole_ through my _chest?!_ Why'd I let that happen?!"

Luffy lowered his head so that his Straw Hat was hiding his eyes. "You saved my life."

A deathly still silence permeated the small abandoned house. Ace could only think one thing: _oh shit, not again._ When Luffy started to cry once more Ace panicked, standing up abruptly and awkwardly gesturing for him to somehow stop, "Hey, don't cry, I'm sure I had a good reason!"

Luffy looked up at his not-brother before choking out, "You were finally free though! I did all that stuff you save you and you had to go and protect me _again!_"

"Free? What did you do for me?" Ace whispered.

Luffy stifled a sob before roughly explaining his break in to Impel Down and the following war. Ace was suddenly humbled by the man. Luffy loved him so much that he would do some pretty crazy shit to make sure that he was safe. And then Ace went and died on the poor kid. If he were to meet his other self in the afterlife, he noted to punch him in the face. Especially when Luffy started explaining in great detail _exactly_ what had happened when he was free.

_I'm an idiot – just _another _thing to add to my ever-growing pile of regrets. _

Ace was bitter.

Luffy recollected himself before asking what had been itching at his consciousness the entire time. "Why are you here?"

"I'm hunting Blackbeard too," he sighed, "_still._ That fucker killed Thatch and handed Sabo over to the Marines. I'll kill him if it's the last thing I do."

"Sabo's alive in this world?" Luffy said with wide eyes.

"You mean he'd dead in your world?"

"He got shot down by a Celestial Dragon when we were kids."

_Ouch._

"I want to see him again," Luffy breathed, imagining how his brother would look all grown up.

Beads of sweat started to form on Ace's face as he realized the implications. "You want to break into Impel Down a _second _time?! Are you nuts?!"

"It'll be okay. I'm strong."

"You're also stupid."

"Come with me!"

Ace's mouth closed abruptly. The thought had occurred to him, but he also knew that it was practically suicide.

"What do you mean strong?"

Monkey spoke the first time in since Luffy let slip that he was a pirate, "He's the strongest man in the world. That's why we brought him over – to help us win the war."

"You brought a _pirate_ to help the Marines?"

"We didn't know!"

Luffy laughed as they fought. It reminded him of his and Ace's fights when they were growing up.

"So exactly _how_ strong?" Ace finally decided to ignore Monkey completely.

"Stronger than anyone," Luffy beamed.

"Let's make a deal then. I'll help you with your batshit crazy rescue plan to get Sabo out of Impel Down if you help me kill Blackbeard. Besides, we're both working towards the same goals in the first place."

"Sure!"

"Oh, one more thing,_ he_ can't say anything," Ace hissed, pointing at Monkey.

"He won't, I promise," Luffy said confidently, shooting a look at Monkey while he elbowed him in the ribs. Monkey, who was still recovering from the fractures he received in their fight, struggled to breathe for a few moments. He didn't miss the hidden threat in Luffy's stare. It basically said _'you say anything and you're _dead'_._

The Marine swallowed harshly, not daring to say anything back.

"Great, let's go then," Ace said enthusiastically, standing up and brushing off his pants. "Blackbeard's on the island."

* * *

Monkey felt sick to his stomach.

_ He's a pirate._

In that other world, where he was the strongest man in the world, he was a fucking _pirate._ The revelation had him reeling, and he almost wanted to cry too. How he'd become an evil, backstabbing, disgusting murderer was beyond his imagination.

(Hadn't he wanted to be a pirate too?)

(He ignored his inner demons.)

He listened. He had to listen.

He had to watch too. Everyone was in danger at this point. Something _bad_ was going to happen, he _knew_ it, something _really_ bad that would probably get a lot of people killed. _He had to stop it._

He would wait.


	10. Interlude of War

**A/N: **Auh, Writer's Block, you ail me so! ;-;

Finally, I decided to screw it and ended up reading up to Chapter 700 in the Manga (starting from where they left off in the Anime), so I'm caught up! However, it wont effect the story in the slightest!

Hmmm. I came up with thsi a few days ago, and it was supposed to be a lot shorter so I'm splitting it up. This is just a set up for later, I suppose. Nothing too juicy, but ... oh I just got a really good idea ... I should go write that down before I forget! Things are about to heat up!

You know when I said that I was going to not include the crew, well I've also said that I rarely walk into a writing project with a full detailed plan, so the plan can change!

**Esaki Nalex: **Lol, I guess not! It's just so unexpected for them, right? I mean they hardly can picture Luffy as a pirate, let alone the King! XD

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: **I appreciate all your reviews! In a row! Oh, and the Impel Down Take Two is going to be a lot different. They're in the middle of a war, remember?

**Phalanx: **Thanks a lot, I really apreciate it. :')

**Son Goshen: **Monkey's also scared.

**Lily Noir: **It's not that Luffy's a different person, it's just I have some pretty heavy content! And the moments I'm writing are the important bits. I'm not going to describe his day-by-day activities, where he's a cheery idiot. Luffy does have his serious side too.

**mehmee: **Yes, I already knew Luffy was imune to poisons. Thanks for the monster review. :)

Well, the next chapter should come out shortly, because I'm going to go start it right now! G'night!

(Clock reads 9:37 PM and I'll be up for another three hours or so. ;-;)

- _DW_

* * *

**Chapter Nine  
**_Interlude of War_

"Don't look now, but I think we may have company …"

Toma and Ricka nearly jumped out of their skin as Vegapunk placed a bony hand on each of their shoulders, his voice dropping to a whisper. Toma nearly dropped some of the wires he had been holding, and he hissed in pain when he was shocked.

"What the hell?" the man hissed, glaring at his superior over his shoulder.

"Admiral Akainu has decided to drop by for a visit, so I trust that you two will keep your mouths _shut_. I'm sure you know why he's here," the elderly scientist growled under his breath, eyes darting to the tall figure of the Marine on the other side of the room. Vegapunk's goggles were pushed up onto his forehead, something that he did when he was under stress. Toma's mouth pressed into a thin line, before he nodded.

"Stick around after you're all done working, alright? I need to speak to you two," Vegapunk said before releasing his hawk-like grip on his subordinate's shoulders. Ricka and Toma exchanged a glance as he stalked away, coat flapping behind him.

"He's in a bad mood," Toma noted seriously.

Ricka didn't reply, opting to sneak a glance in the Admiral's direction. He was sifting through the crowd, speaking to individual workers and scientists. When he looked up, his intense gaze settled directly on her. Sweat poured down her face as she whipped around and reorganized the pile of papers in front of her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Akainu," she squeaked out. Her heart felt heavy. She could practically feel the tension around the world mounting. Something was going to happen soon. However, they had more pressing concerns.

The previously mentioned Admiral slowly and steadily made his way around the workshop before he approached the nervous pair. Both of their bodies were tight like a drawn bow, their anxiety nearly visible.

Just like Vegapunk had done earlier Akainu placed a hand on each of their shoulders as his own way of telling them that there was no escape. Under normal circumstances the action just wouldn't be professional (Vegapunk was hardly professional), but in this case it was simply threatening.

"How's work going?" Akainu's hoarse voice asked deceptively innocently. Ricka tensed even more to the point that she was holding back tears.

"Just fine, sir," Toma said politely, his jaw clenching.

"I'm sure this whole experience has been mind-numbing, especially for the two of you, who know that man so well."

"Not that well, sir. The one we pulled through is virtually a stranger, not like our Luffy …" Ricka said weakly, trying not to shake.

The Admiral paused, evaluating her answer. He then sneered, "I don't trust that kid, understand? You shouldn't either, so if you have any information, tell me, or I'll hold you both responsible if anything happens."

They shivered.

They both let out a breath they didn't know they'd been holding as the Admiral left the room.

* * *

"What the hell was that?!" Toma shouted, venting his anger. He paced back in forth, only fueling his agitated mood. Ricka watched on, frowning and sitting on top of a desk. Vegapunk leaned against the nearby wall, just as bothered. "That's a clear provocation! God dammit!"

If Toma had anything close at hand he would have thrown it.

"Fuck, Vegapunk what's going on?" Toma roared at his superior, stopping in his tracks to glare daggers.

The scientist was silent for a moment, "Admiral Akainu's first impression of Luffy, the other world's Luffy, was poor at best, and vies versa. There's a deep seated hatred for Akainu in that man's heart, and Luffy being … well, Luffy, he's not the best at rationalizing. He hates our Akainu just as much, maybe even more. I don't know why, and it seems as though Admiral Akainu has picked upon the subtler changes in your friend too."

"Since when does Luffy know the meaning of the word subtle?" Toma shot back.

Vegapunk gave a short bark of laughter, "Under normal circumstances I would agree with you, but this is a bit more complicated. The two Luffys lives are very different. I'll tell you what I told Sengoku: that man is dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Toma whispered. He'd heard of what happened at Alabasta, and he'd seen the other Luffy do some pretty wild things in the short time he'd known him. Still, it was still Luffy they were associating the word with, which was new to him.

"And well known for it too," Ricka whispered quietly under her breath, but evidently loud enough that the other two in the room heart her.

"What do you mean by that?" Toma stared.

On the other hand Vegapunk's eyes widened in a moment of realization, "Oh my, you already know, don't you?" The scientist laughed, throwing his head back, "Then consider me impressed!"

Ricka flushed, not able to meet their gazes. She remembered the night spent talking on the rooftop, he telling her about the people he cared about and some of the things he'd gone through.

"What?" Toma gawked, looking back between the two of them, "Will someone explain to me what you're talking about?"

"Toma do you remember when Luffy told us that he wanted to be a pirate?"

"What for?"

She gave him a signifigant look, raising her eyebrows.

"… _Oh_," Toma said, getting what she was trying to say.

"Yeah."

"So, now that we are on the same page, I'm sure that I won't have to remind you of what could happen if we let that little bit of information get out. The two of you are closest to the Luffy of this world, so I trust you with this knowledge."

Toma nodded, dumbstruck, completely calm now, "So why is he, I mean, the other Luffy, helping us then?"

"He wants to go home, obviously. However … the work that we are doing right now is completely irrelevant."

"What do you mean 'irrelevant'?" Ricka scowled, "This isn't his home, he has family and friends over there, too. We have to find a way to get him back there."

Vegapunk smiled in his annoying 'I know something you don't know' way, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "Exactly, and this is why I need your help. Things are getting restless. Ripples are spreading from the point when Luffy was brought into our world, and soon we are going to have to face the consequences of such a gamble. We cannot control Monkey D. Luffy, it is not in his nature nor is it our place to do so. What we have to do is make sure that when this _does_ end, it doesn't end in _disaster._"

Toma and Ricka steeled themselves and nodded.

"Good. In the meantime I need your help with something!"

* * *

Ricka's jaw dropped.

_I can't believe him! That-that lying jerk! _

Now she was absolutely furious. That was totally unacceptable! The entire time …

From the get go Vegapunk had a working portal between worlds, one more efficient than what they'd been working with, and it wouldn't blow up when activated either.

_The jerk!_

Ricka fumed silently, glaring at the scientist who was now grimacing sheepishly. She'd felt just awful when Luffy had described his Nakama and expressed his wish to see them again, and here was Vegapunk with the way to accomplish this. It pissed her off to no ends!

And the worst bit was that he expected them to keep quiet about it.

"That's just cruel," Toma said, closing the doors to the warehouse behind them. It was the middle of the night and here they were with a working portal at their fingertips.

"I'm sorry, but I had no other choice. It was an extra incentive to get Luffy working with us, to lie to him."

"Why are you showing us this, Vegapunk?"

"Well his crew demanded a price, so we'll just be loading boxes, don't worry."

Ricka felt the urge to punch something, but at the same time she felt a little excited. She'd heard stories of his crew, and she really wanted to meet them.

"Oh, and one more thing, don't mention to his crewmates that he doesn't know about the existence of the portal. It could cause problems."

… "You're an asshole!"

* * *

The first thing that Ricka noticed about the Mugiwara crew was that they weren't what she imagined them to be, but at the same time they fit Luffy's descriptions to a 'T'. There were only a few of them present to help carry the boxes to their ship, but Ricka could pick out which one was which surprisingly easily. The swordsman, Zoro, the Doctor, Chopper, the Shipwright, Franky, the Cook, Sanji and the sharpshooter, Usopp, were all present. They were all so unique that it was hard to mistake them for someone else.

As soon as Ricka walked through the liquid like portal carrying a couple of boxes of various supplies her burden was lifted by the blond cook in a form-fitting black suit. He smiled down at her, because she was two heads shorter than him, and said, "Young ladies such as yourself shouldn't have to carry heavy things, let me do that for you."

She felt her heart flutter in her chest and a blush creep across her face despite herself, and it was hella embarrassing. If anyone else were to witness that, she'd never live it down.

So she stood there, looking a little stupid, not really doing anything because the Pirate Cook had mercilessly flirted with her.

"Pull yourself together," Toma said to her on his way past, his expression a little smug.

"S-Shut up!" she blurted in embarrassment.

On her way out the second time she nearly bumped into a huge towering figure, who glared at her as he swept past her. She felt shivers dance up and down her spine, knowing that this guy could rip her in half without even moving. Her only comfort was that he had an embarrassing sense of direction, or at least from what she'd heard.

As the cook was busy loading boxes still she silently and meekly trekked down the forest path towards the shore of the island, where a colorful pirate ship was docked. It was magnificent, just like it had been described.

She was in absolute awe, it almost felt like a dream, and she felt out of place. _Is this what Luffy feels like...? _She wondered, pondering what exactly was going on behind the scenes in the pirate version of her best friend. And she hated Vegapunk for lying.

When she walked up the gangplank onto the grassy deck of the _Thousand Sunny_, she was surprised by how … comfortable it felt. It was ridiculous. She was on a _pirate ship_, for god's sake, and yet it was just so welcoming that she was blown away.

Once again she was reminded of the tension between the two Luffys, and her stomach felt like lead.

"That was our first impression too," a voice said, making jump. She looked over to see an orange haired woman smiling at her, who she assumed was Nami. Ricka hadn't expected her to be dressed so … revealingly, especially since Luffy obviously held her in high regards (Luffy never did notice these sorts of things, she supposed, and she'd had firsthand experience with his ignorance of the opposite gender).

"First impression?" Ricka blinked, before realizing the Navigator was talking about the ship itself, "Yeah, this ship is just … amazing. Not something I'd associate with _pirates_."

She chuckled, "Well we're not really your conventional pirates, as you've probably noticed by now."

Ricka put down her boxes on the deck, as she was unsure where they wanted them. The others were steadily hauling in boxes, and the cook immediately picked up her share while saying something along the lines of 'I'll brink you a drink'. "Yeah."

"So you're a Marine?" Nami eyed her, to which Ricka grimaced to.

"Technically I'm a doctor," she replied.

The orange woman seemed to relax and gave her a warm grin, "You should talk to Chopper before you go then!"

"Thanks, I will," Ricka said, trying to figure out how she was going to word the multitude of questions she had.

Instead Nami asked a question of her own, which Ricka was grateful for. The silence was a little awkward, as they were so different. "What's Luffy like in your world?" she blurted out.

Ricka laughed, grinning fondly, "A lot like yours, but there's some pretty obvious differences."

"Like what?"

Ricka began to describe their Luffy, and some of the things that he'd done, and by the time she'd finished most of the Mugiwara crew were crowded around and listening intently. They laughed when she told them some embarrassing stories of Luffy or what Luffy had done to other people. The poor boy was clueless. Some of the crew admitted that they'd had similar frustrations with his stupidity or his stubbornness, and other times they were surprised by what sounded like something pirate Luffy wouldn't do. They told stories to pass the time, and Ricka could only admire the pirate Captain.

"So how's he doing right now?" Usopp asked. She liked him, he was nice, sensible and down to earth, even if it sounded like he exaggerated things just a little.

"I'm not sure. He went off with our Luffy and Garp to hunt Blackbeard." As soon as she mentioned the Yonkou's name there was a collective hiss of hatred and disgust. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's just that Blackbeard is one of the most disgusting people we've ever met, and we've met _a lot_ of psychopaths. He's one of the few people our Captain will never, _ever_ forgive, under any circumstances. The Blackbeard in your world is going to be in for one hell of a beating," Nami explained.

The thought made her a little uncomfortable.

"Yeah, as long as Akainu doesn't show up everything should end just fine," Usopp noted casually.

Ricka went pale, and her eyes went wide. The Mugiwara crew was perceptive and picked up on this. The cook tried to make a big deal out of it, but was ignored. "Akainu is an Admiral at headquarters …" she said quietly, but all the pirates reeled back in shock.

"Where's that portal, I want to go cut him up," Zoro growled, resting one of his hands on the hilt of one of his swords.

Ricka flailed her arms in panic, "No, you can't! Akainu already suspects that there's something going on, you'll just make it worse! Besides, what did he ever do to you?"

A grim silence fell on the assembled group before Nami spoke up, "It's not what he did to _us_, per say, but what he did to Luffy, and because of what he did, we can never forgive him."

"When we found him we showed him no mercy, but we still carry that hatred," Sanji said.

Ricka gaped at them, "What do you mean?"

"Have you seen the scar on Luffy's chest?" the historian, Nico Robin (which was really weird because she was dead in their world), asked her. She nodded. "Akainu gave that to Luffy after he murdered his brother in front of him during the war at Marineford seven years ago."

… Oh.

The revelation hit Ricka like a ton of bricks, and she could only stare, horrified at the thought. She wanted to cry, and when she did Nami rubbed her back. "Oh my god, I didn't know …" she whispered between sobs.

The way that he avoided looking at the bay the first day he arrived was because …

He looked so sad, watching the ocean.

_'What are you thinking about?'_

_ 'My brother.'_

And then she discovered that their problems had just gotten _a lot_ worse.

_What's going to happen to us?  
_

* * *

Miles and miles and miles away, in a different world entirely, Marines and a single pirate were sleeping peacefully. The two of the same person had yet to journey inland, had yet to meet the Second Division Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, and had yet to hunt Blackbeard.

The sole individual who was awake watched as his counterpart slept, a frown tugging at his lips.

_What's going to happen to us?_

The thing that he did know was that whatever did happen, it was going to end in blood.


	11. The Dawn

**A/N:** Okay, I just spent the last two hours throwing this up, because it was that easy to write this time. My mindis buzzing.

And I am SO TIRED, so NOW goodnight.

Two written in one day ... I think it's a record.

- _DW_

* * *

**Chapter Ten  
**_The Dawn  
_

They were smiling.

The two pirates were smiling, still exchanging stories and laughing gleefully. They got along exceptionally well, which had an eerie edge to it, or at least to him it did. The world was deaf; it passed by them not noticing how _wrong_ this was.

What was worse was that it _himself_ doing it.

He was a pirate in another world. When he was little he used to think that Pirates were awesome, having adventures all the time and getting the treasure at the end (whether it was food or gold, it didn't matter). He thought of them as these free, strong people, and it awed him.

He was without a father to look up to.

Garp had brought him to Marineford, and he'd been there for a while, but when he was still a kid he would argue with the sailors who always ruffled his hair and said things like 'you'll understand when you're older'.

Understand he did.

They were filthy. They stole and murdered and lied and cheated. They were not to be trusted. Luffy was ten years old when he had his first real encounter with a pirate. Oh, it was such a kick in the pants when he saw what they were really like. It was the very first time he was allowed to go on a mission with his Grandfather, and even then it was a routine patrol.

They had raided the ship. They were _strong_, too, strong for the Grand Line even. One particular man, one missing a lot of teeth and had a dog-based Devil's fruit spotted him from across the deck when everyone was distracted and fighting. It was a hunt to that bastard; he was playing with his food.

Luffy remembered how scared he was, how absolutely terrified, and just before he lost consciousness his Grandfather had finally found him, but the damage was done. Luffy had been bed-ridden for weeks. There was one particular scar on his right shoulder blade that never really healed either.

The word 'Pirate' had been tainted for him.

And there was Mugiwara, a different version of him, who'd grown up to be one of those monsters. Monkey couldn't even begin to imagine the blood that was on his hands. It was himself, too, which horrified him the most. Something … it … it wasn't right.

The world could be very well ending and they wouldn't give a damn! All those people he'd seen, whose lives were ruined by selfish scum, he'd seen crying families clutching the corpse of a loved one, children abused and abducted, people willing to _die_ just to protect those they cared about.

In the end Pirates became the face of evil, as it was for so many others, and he made a promise to himself that he'd help these people.

Mugiwara being a pirate … it was _insulting_, and only reinforced the uneasy feelings he'd been getting.

Something bad, something really bad was going to happen, and Mugiwara was right in the center of it.

_I have to stop it.  
_

* * *

The pirate Luffy was completely oblivious to the Marine Luffy's bad mood. Nothing could dampen the Pirate King's spirits it seemed. He got to meet his brother again, even if it wasn't really his brother and he was going to have to say goodbye to this one eventually too … but that was something he'd deal with another day.

It was a good day.

He hadn't really noticed it, but when he thought of Ace he'd always had that overwhelming guilt stashed away. Sure, he'd talked about Ace with his Nakama and Rayleigh and others … he'd promised himself that he wouldn't let another person precious to him die. So far he'd kept it.

But … on those bad days, because yes, even Luffy had bad days, his thoughts would travel back to that incident. He wouldn't wear his cardigan just because of the color. Anything red would set him off. When night fell he'd stay awake, mourning his brother. It was an ache that never really dulled.

It was an ache carved into his skin, literally.

It was a relief to be able to talk to Ace again, because hell, this was _Ace_, whether it was an alternate Ace or not. **It was still Ace! **His heart wouldn't stop thundering in his chest, and he felt a guilty pleasure in telling this Ace about what he'd been thinking and feeling when that shit went down.

And now Blackbeard.

A simmering hatred bubbled up from the pit of his stomach when thinking of that fucker. Their first meeting, well, second, after all that stuff in the bar with Bellamy had happened, Luffy had been almost impressed. He thought that he wasn't such a bad guy after all. It had been a real slap in the face when months later the man had appeared in Impel Down, claiming that he was 'Blackbeard', the man who had handed Ace over to the Marines.

From what this Ace had said, Sabo wasn't in line for execution, which was good, but it still made Luffy uneasy that he'd been down there for a while. When Luffy had asked, Ace wouldn't answer and instead scowled.

… Oh well.

What was important was that he was talking to Ace, his dead brother, and they were going to beat up Blackbeard together. It was like a fantasy come true!

"You're crying again," the other pirate said, to which Luffy blinked at before rubbing his face with the sleeve to his sweater.

"No I'm not, I'm fine!" he protested.

"Good, because we're nearly there," Ace said, his voice lowering to nearly a whisper. Luffy smiled and nodded before mimicking Ace's hand movements by placing his fingers to his lips. He snickered, following his brother as he crouched down in the foliage.

The other side of the island had sudden cliffs, with beautiful views of the ocean. As it was an Autumn island all the leaves on the trees were orange and red and yellow, which made for a blended and painted like imagery. It was breathtaking, but that wasn't concerning them right now.

The old man in the village had said that his son was an inventor. The three of them peeked out from the bushes, and saw the said inventor kneeling on the ground in chains. He must have been pretty good if Blackbeard needed him.

Ace looked over at their ship and noted that it was in disrepair. _They must need him for repairs more than anything else … probably building a weapon._

"Hey, I recognize them, aren't they supposed to be in Impel Down too?" Luffy said, frowning as he looked at the assembled pirates.

"Yeah, there was a breakout after Blackbeard became a Shichibukai. Events concerning him were pretty similar to your story, minus me and Whitebeard dying, or that whole war in general. We have to be really careful though, because – Oi!"

Before he got the chance to finish Mugiwara had already jumped from the bushes and walked casually towards the group of bloodthirsty pirates.

"Baka!" Ace shouted, terrified for the poor kid. He still wasn't fully convinced of his apparent strength just because of how the kid was crying all over him and his obvious admiration for the man who'd become his brother. And he was so _skinny!_

He leaped after the Straw-hat wearing boy, intent on saving his ass before he was squashed, while Monkey sat in the bushes, absolutely dumbstruck.

Blackbeard turned to the two of them, his mocking grin growing. "Fire Fist, I didn't expect to see you here, how have you been?"

"Shut up!" Ace roared, his blood boiling.

"And who's your friend here?" the Yonkou asked, fixing his gaze on the younger man.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm going to kick your ass … again," he said, his own grin widening.

…

Surprised silence.

…

Luffy kept a straight face, staring at Blackbeard.

…

Teach sneered at the pair, "Take care of them," he said, turning his back to them. Luffy's grin faded before he sent a wave of Haki through the clearing. Blackbeard's subordinates shook dramatically before falling over, one by one, completely unconscious.

_… Holy shit_ … was Ace and Monkey's thoughts.

Blackbeard stopped dead in his tracks before looking over his shoulder at the man who'd just made his presence really known. His grin was gone now, and he scowled at the man's smirk. There was a glint in the eyes of the black-haired kid … something different.

There was a silence in the forest as everything held its breath. The tension was nearly unbearable, and then, suddenly, without warning, they pounced. Luffy leaped into the air and sent a bone-crunching punch into Blackbeard's jaw, whose head snapped to the side as he spat out blood and a handful of teeth. The Yonkou stumbled backwards, clutching his mouth and crying out in pain.

_"Gear Second!"_

Luffy left no time for the Yonkou to recover and sent him every which way across the clearing. Even the _air_ shook with the power in those punches, and it was a testament to Blackbeard's, and through that, Luffy's power that Teach could handle more than one.

Ace and Monkey watched in awe, their jaws hanging open as they watched Luffy kick Blackbeard around with hardly any effort. He was a pink and black blur, and at some points they couldn't even see him (and they were a lot faster than the average person). They winced at every blow delivered, because they knew that it would hurt like a _bitch_, and they could easily kill a normal person.

Neither had any trouble imagining him as the strongest person in the world now.

Of course, to give credit to Teach the Yonkou was able to pull himself together for long enough to activate his abilities, and managed to send his own punch, which missed entirely. Luffy jumped back to stand a little ways away, watching and grinning menacingly, a flicker of hatred in his black eyes.

_"Black Hole!"_

Blackbeard thought he'd won at that moment.

"I don't know who the hell you are kid, but I don't care. No matter how good you are, you're still a devil fruit user, and you can't beat me."

"_Baka_, weren't you paying attention? I said that I was going to beat you _again_," he smirked.

Luffy then did something completely unexpected. His body, or the parts that they could see, began to turn a shiny black.

'_Haki'_ was the unison thought between the three other conscious people, and a hard dread filled their stomachs.

The pirate then brought his thumb to his mouth, which looked rather out of place in the middle of a fight, but when he bit down on it, making a little rubber squeak, they knew something was coming. Luffy blew into his thumb, and his hand began to inflate until it was absolutely massive.

_"Jet Armored Elephant Gun!"_ he shouted before the massive fist collided with a stunned Teach lightning fast.

* * *

There was the sound of a large explosion, and everyone in town looked towards the forest on the other side of the island. A cloud of dust and debris flew up into the air, accompanied by all the birds in the forest.

Coleson and Andrews exchanged glances.

"That was definitely him."

"Yep."

They took off running.

* * *

Ace closed his jaw, shielding his face as they were pelted with clumps of dirt. There was now a good sized crater in the middle of the damn forest with a squashed Blackbeard at the bottom. They weren't even really sure if he was alive anymore … and after that … he was supposed to feel pain just as much, or even more than normal people with his fruit abilities, right?

The dust slowly cleared to reveal Mugiwara standing on the edge of the crater looking down into it. He'd returned to normal, so his skin wasn't pink and steaming or black and shiny, and his arms were normal sized. His two spectators slowly and carefully approached the massive hole before looking down at a bloody and bruised Teach.

"Is he dead?" Ace asked.

"I dunno, but I think I may have hit him too hard. Oops!" the pirate laughed, scratching the back of his neck like he hadn't just killed a man. The other two glared at him.

"The others will be on their way after that," Monkey noted, glancing towards the town apprehensively.

"Damn, you're right. It would be bad if the Marines saw me here," Ace growled.

"Do you have to go?" Luffy asked, looking sullen.

Ace frowned before sighing, "I'll find a way to contact you again, alright? We're still going to Impel Down."

"Promise?" Luffy said, panicking a little on the inside.

"Promise," Ace replied. Luffy launched himself at his brother's counterpart and enveloped him in a suffocating hug. The Second Division Commander grimaced before patting the man on the back. He wouldn't lie and say that the mood swings were a little off-putting, but he sympathized and understood why.

Ace peeled the man-child off of him before heading off towards the cliff face. "Oh, and one more thing," he said, looking back at the nearly identical pair.

"What?" Luffy blinked at him.

"Thank you, and see you later," he said before giving a little two-fingered salute and falling over the cliff backwards.

Luffy waved goodbye, smiling bitter-sweetly.

* * *

"Whoa," Coleson breathed, taking in the ridiculous scene in front of him. Both of the Luffys looked at him with large, unblinking owl-like eyes, standing in the middle of what looked like a warzone. There was a crater, a freaking _hole_ in the ground easily the size of a _warship_, with a mangled Teach lying at the bottom. His crew were scattered around the clearing, unconscious and foaming at the mouth, along with a man in chains which he assumed was a hostage of some sort (who wasn't in a much better state than the pirates).

"Good job," he croaked meekly, unable to come up with anything better than that in his shock.

There were still lots of things to do.

* * *

Garp woke suddenly and abruptly. He swatted away his Grandson before sitting up in bed, his brow drawn together in confusion. It had been years since Luffy woke him up in the middle of the night.

Must be serious then.

"What do you want?" his voice was like gravel right after waking up. He flicked on a lamp and watched as Luffy pulled up a seat next to his bed. He didn't look like a troubled boy, no, he looked a lot older than he really was at that moment, and Garp felt his insides grow cold.

"Luffy?"

"Ji-chan …" Luffy began, his hands gripping his knees tightly. His teeth worked themselves side to side, and whatever was troubling him must be world-changing, the Vice Admiral frowned.

"He's a pirate!" he suddenly shouted, making Garp jump.

His Grandson looked at him with intense eyes, both angry and confused and torn. It was pulling at him, wearing him down to the bone.

He'd noticed. Luffy was starting to withdraw, even if just a little bit. He was spending _way_ too much time in his own head than was healthy for him. There was a growing resentment.

Garp looked at the ground before answering, "I know."

Luffy felt betrayed. His Grandfather had _known?_ **What the hell?!**

"Why?"

"I don't know much, but that hat he carries around … it used to belong to Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King. Right now in this world it belongs to Akagami Shanks."

'_I wanted to make Shanks proud too.'_

A sudden chill filled the room, like they were dawning on something so important and vital that it shook the world.

And he remembered. He remembered that dream, and the emotions from it that he pushed aside were recalled in a sudden wave.

Mugiwara was ready to kill, and ready to die.

It was fitting.

Ironic.

"Something _**big**_ is going to happen, Ji-chan, I just know it," he whispered, holding back the tears of simply being overwhelmed. They were going above and beyond anything they'd ever encountered before, and nothing would be the same ever again.

There was no pretending now. It was changed permanently.

"Yes," Garp agreed.


End file.
